Introduction to the world of Katha publishing - how stories improve lives

StoryPedagogy, the concept of teaching through stories, was introduced by Geeta Dharmarajan, founder-director of Katha, an NGO that also publishes children's literature. The concept works through these two books that we bought and read recently. Presenting the mini-reviews:

Run Ranga Run: A story of a female rhinoceros growing from a baby who needs to be nudged to stand on her feet to a confident young adult who stands for her mother in danger, is delivered gracefully. The succinct first person narration and the soothing colours used for illustration makes for an endearing bed-time story. My almost-6yr old learnt figurative phrases like “a river full of stars”.                         

                                 

At the end, after reading about some facts about rhinos, we added Khaziranga to our must-visit places. He had a ripple of laughter when I read out, “We talk a lot! We also use our poop to talk with other rhinos!” Later, when he remembered this sentence with a sense of intrigue, I had a tough time making him understand the possible situations in which rhinos used poop to talk and why humans couldn’t or shouldn’t. Though the target age group is not clear, I believe this book could serve as a read-alone to a more mature group.

Hic!copotamus: This one’s a fun read, about a hippo landing from Africa to India after a heavy hiccup! Apart from learning surprising facts about Hippopotamuses like their ability to remain under water for really long, we also learn how team work can solve problems in an absolutely entertaining way, presented with a host of characters and multitude of eye-catching pictures. This is a recommended read for pre-schoolers.

                                     

This is the first time I have learnt about the publishers. I noticed the Indian name in the book sale that takes place during my kid’s PTM at his school. From its conceptualisation of making “reading for fun”, to “reading for meaning”, Katha has done a wonderful job at improving lives of slum dwellers, who learn by way of stories at the Katha schools. This is a story about helping the underpriviledged. A story of mighty dreams and achievements. An inspirational one.