Attend this day-long immersive literature festival for children in Mumbai

Children are requested to come dressed in full character for the third edition of Childrenrsquos literature festival Peek A Book a oneday programme scheduled for this Saturday at the cityrsquos newest museum for kids mdash Museum of Solutions Themed lsquoJump into a bookrsquo curator Lubaina Bandukwala says that this yearrsquos edition is all about making reading immersive and engaging for the young readersAnand Neelakantan at the Bengaluru leg of his book launchldquoChildren love doing activities Hence every session planned with different authors will offer an immersive experience inspired by a latest book by these authors like dance humour art workshops and morerdquo she explains While most books picked up by Bandukwala for the fest were published within the past 12 months the highlight of the fest will be four book launches in the city by prominent writers including Ashok Rajagopalan for the fifth part of the Gajapati Kulapati series Gajapati Kulapati Kweee Anushka Ravishankar for her science series Smarty Pants Anand Neelakantan for Mahi The Elephant Who Flew Over the Blue Mountains and archaeologist and Sahitya Akademi Bal Puraskar Awardwinner Devika Cariapa for A Childrenrsquos History of India in 100 ObjectsChildren participate in an interactive session during a previous editionNeelakantanrsquos session will talk about the importance of introducing literature to children ldquoReading is the only way to teach the kids how to be compassionaterdquo he says over a quick phone call with this writer ldquoMovies and shows spoonfeed children they are passive modes of consuming content When you read a book you become the character and the music producer the cast and the crewrdquo He will also read a few paragraphs from his latest book that he says is relatable to both children and adults ldquoIt is an allegorical book For children it is a fun read that teaches them about chasing dreams environment and the need for compassion towards animals For adults itrsquos a political satire with multiple layersrdquoChildren will learn to recognise and solve community problemsThe first edition of this festival was in 2016 itrsquos focus remains unchanged Bandukwala believes that some brilliant works by these authors are often lost amid the famous titles by international books ldquoMany kids are not readers simply because they either havenrsquot been introduced to reading or havenrsquot found a book that interests them I have noticed that once they meet the authors interact with them and can put a name to or associate a memory with these books they are more likely to read Hence we have a diverse curation that will appeal to different age groups up to 10 and aboverdquo she signs offTime February 24 10 am onwards book launch till 1030 amAt Museum of Solutions Victoria House Lower ParelLog on to insiderin for registration peekabooklitfest for full line up and activitiesCost Rs 300 allday pass for children Rs 250 allday pass for adultsThe Guidersquos top 6 picks at the festivalgtgt Find the problem Jane Goodallrsquos allday long Roots and Shoots will teach children how to recognise and solve issues within their communitiesat Discovery Zone MuSogtgt Can you ChhauInspired by her latest book The Chhau Champ author Vibha Batra will teach kids the basics of the West Bengali folkdanceAge group 7 years and aboveTime 12 pm to 1245 pmAt StoryStage MuSogtgt Calling on junior Sherlock HolmesMonika Bhatkhande will introduce the children to her mystery book A Woof in Time as they use their detective skills to solve clues and decode puzzlesto catch the villain and retrieve a lost treasureAge group 9 and aboveTime 1115 am to 12 pmAt Room of Wonders MuSogtgt Whatrsquos in the objectArchaeologist and author Devika Cariapa will bring objects of archaeological and historical importance to the session for the kids to learn to tell stories not through comics or novels but through these objectsAge group 10 years and aboveTime 1215 pm to 1 pmAt The Library of Solutions MuSogtgt P for parenting Parents make a beeline for this insightful parenting session with Mansi Zhaveri founder of Kidsstoppress as the activities keep your munchkins busyAge group For adultsTime 12 pm to 1 pmAt Subko first floor MuSogtgt Pack a meal Relieve your mom of cooking duty for a day and pack her a lunchbox full of love with Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar as you explore the story Tiffin Dost by Sushil Shukla Learn the secrets and joy of packing a lunchboAge group 4 and aboveTime 145 pm to 245 pmAt The Library of Solutions MuSo