ITANAGAR, 21 Nov: The children’s corner at the 7th Arunachal Literature Festival was filled with laughter and giggles as young readers dived into storytelling, creative workshops and interactive sessions led by visual artists, illustrators and educators.
The corner opened with an engaging session by Canato Jimo, illustrator and art director at Pratham Books, known for his popular works such as ‘The Very Wiggly Tooth,’ ‘Bobo and the Worms’, and ‘Snip’ – a wordless picture book for emergent readers.
Joining him was Ogin Nayam, an award-winning illustrator from the Tagin tribe and co-creator of ‘Asamo, is That You?’ – a picture book that brings alive monsters from lores across Northeast India.
A recipient of the 2025 Mehli Gobhai Award for Children’s Illustrator of the Year and the FICCI Publishing Award for best cover design for ‘When The Sun Sets’, Nayam captivated the young audience with his rich visual storytelling.
The duo showcased how picture books rooted in folklores can preserve the region’s oral traditions while sparking children’s imagination.
This was followed by a storytelling session by Padma Shri awardee Satyanarayan Moondayur, lovingly known as Uncle Moosa, a revered figure in Arunachal Pradesh’ reading movement.
Uncle Moosa and his team brought the children’s corner alive with vibrant mix of poetry, storytelling and interactive reading. His expressive voice, modulation and warm engagement made classics like ‘Pet Porcupine’ and ‘The Gruffalo’ instantly relatable to the young listeners.
Supported by Vamika Kri, Shivani Pul, and young contributor Arpita Ram, their collaborative performance created an atmosphere of joy, curiosity and shared love for literature.
During the third session, Ogin Nayam led an engaging illustration session themed ‘World Building- When the Sun Sets’. This simple yet powerful activity opened up a beautiful discussion about imagination, perspective, and how stories often begin from the smallest ideas.
The final session featured a comic- making workshop by Pankaj, self-taught illustrator and children’s book creator from Assam.
With experience in picture books, comics and animation, including work with Pratham Books and Comixense, he guided children aged 9 to 12 in creating simple characters, panels, and short visual stories.
Day one of children’s corner concluded with renewed energy and imagination, encouraging children to think creatively, participate confidently, and become more proactive in expressing their ideas.
Through stories, art and interactive workshops, the young participants explored new ways to imagine and narrate their own worlds.
The organisers noted that Arunachal’s rich oral traditions rooted in folklores, myths and recitations found a natural resonance in these activities. (DIPRO)
