Poems are intrinsic to mankind. From lullabies to kindergarten poems, from being kids to becoming senior citizens, they are a means to express, enjoy, cope, heal,  learn, and reminisce.

Reading, reciting, or composing poetry – each has its charm.

Children love all. What starts as a tool of learning and fun in the early stages of learning becomes a handy friend in the formative years. While all may not take a keen liking to all forms, many do enjoy it.

Composing poems is an art in itself. It allows the expression of the unspoken. Kids use poems as a medium to be heard. It is a hobby that may transform into a literary career or aid in gaining knowledge and confidence.

As we celebrate World Poetry Day in March, we present a few beautiful compositions of our wizkids. Let us dive into their world and enjoy the ride!

Children grow up in a world where they enjoy themselves with family & friends, attend school, and learn the nitty-gritty of life. There exists a parallel world that is as vast and vibrant as their imagination.

This world is where the kids can be what they want to be, there are no rules, the principles of the real world hold no importance and time just swirls by. This is the world that allows them to dream, where everyday things come to life, where they conquer the world with the help of friends, where they do all daredevilry and most of all where there is no time limit to do things.

Any guesses on what this world could be – yes, the wonderful world of books.

It is our duty as their nurturers to ensure that we introduce them to this enchanting world where every word has the power to make them better humans.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

Books are not mere means to learn and educate. They can do different roles of a guide, a friend, a teacher, a healer, an empathiser to name a few. What starts as a fun time with picture books during the toddler years can fructify into a lifelong relationship where the journey of learning continues. Books have the power to magically transform the kids’ world, to take them on voyages and faraway destinations both real and imaginary. They introduce them to new worlds where they experience joy, wonder, mystery, fear, thrill, adventures, sorrow, and much more.

How do books achieve this? I believe every word in a book or a picture is gifted with the power of storytelling. The stories not only entertain them but give valuable life lessons that unknowingly shape their very existence.

This vast world of books with its myriad of genres and varieties has something to offer to everyone. Just like we all are different in appearance, so is our reading pattern. One might like to read only fiction whereas the other might be interested in historical books. This affinity to a certain genre happens in the later stages of life.

Therefore it is of paramount importance that we introduce kids to a wide variety of books in the early years of their lives. At a younger age, their reading habits are like an empty canvas. Every book that they read would create its design on the canvas in the form of an imprint.

Nurturing the habit of reading cannot be a one-day or a monthly exercise. It should be a carefully planned process that is meticulously done by the parent to introduce the child to this enchanting world where one relates to things at his / her own pace.

With the uncontrollable explosion of digital devices and online reading modes, physical books provide a haven for kids’ minds where they can imbibe ideas and thoughts, contemplate upon them, and immerse themselves without distractions of any kind.

Today’s parents know the inseparability of their kids’ learning curve and technological aids. This however does not mean that kids cannot be diverted towards the world of physical books. It might be an uphill task today but not an impossible one.

As they grow they are shaped into individual personality molds that in turn are influenced by family values, societal milieu, and cultural nuances. A reading habit would positively impact this individual metamorphosis. How? Well, it makes them open to ideas, more receptive, and imaginative, and have the belief that anything is possible.

Be it the world of The Ugly Duckling, Panchtantra Tales, The World of Hogwarts, or the wonderful mysteries of Agatha Christie – each one is waiting with open arms to welcome these young curious minds and take them into a different realm altogether.

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face.” – Edward P. Morgan

Let us take them to the opening gates of this world and encourage them to take the plunge and explore. Agree?

MuSo, short for Museum of Solutions, is a newly built museum in Mumbai that caters to the unique liking of children in a fun and interactive way. It is based on how to make the young generation responsible, conscious, caring, and mindful citizens of the world. It mainly focuses on building a sustainable environment and making children realize the importance of sustainability, creating a sustainable future.
At the entrance, the building is covered with a quote written in bold letters “We believe that children can change the world”, something normally not seen in other buildings. This quote itself emphasizes that Children are the harbingers of change. It attracts the attention of young minds instantly along with piquing their curiosity about What wonders and challenges await them.
The interiors of the building give a feeling of enthusiastic doodling done by kids. A massive amphitheater welcomes visitors and serves as a waiting area during the day and a theater at night for community and public events. The theater leads to the souvenirs and goodies corner filled with child-friendly items reflecting reality-rooted learning. Past this, the friendly faces of volunteers welcome at the reception counter. They guide about the tour and one can proceed to the rocket lift that commences the journey in the Museum of Solutions.
The museum has 4 floors, each floor dedicated to a specific activity and learning center. After taking off from the rocket, we started our journey on floor 7, themed the ‘Play Lab’, where we learned about STEM concepts through interactive exhibits and creative workshops.

The activities on this floor include a pipe filled with a continuous strong flow of air, teaching about air currents concepts. There lie smaller sections where one can build cars out of Lego blocks and test designs to see which is the fastest. An interesting section challenged kids to construct buildings using wooden blocks that can withstand earthquakes of different magnitudes.
Moving on, there was a storyboard for creating tales and a digital one too that used stop-motion animation or replicated a fast sequence code. The floor also contained activities that demonstrated how to keep up with speed or lift one’s weight.
A fun section based on water, where one learns how water travels and how water currents carry objects. This section also demonstrated how the dams in a city work and how to control the fast flow of rivers in an unharming way. The last, and probably the most fun-filled activity on this floor was a three-story beanstalk-type climbing environment which was both safe and exciting.

Taking our rocket to the 8th floor, we found it to be completely focused on Oceans and the life around them, the importance of water, tracking our water footprints, or seeing how water reaches our taps. One can also go on a journey with Puddles the turtle, through a movie of 8 minutes, and learn about the ocean waters and how water pollution affects aquatic life.
Interactive games to know more about Ocean creatures added a touch of curiosity.

One section displayed the life of local Koli fishermen and threw light on saving Mumbai’s deteriorating rivers or trying to understand how hard it is to collect water in villages. Last, and probably the most interesting one on the floor was the Investigation Zone, where one can work in a group to find solutions to water woes faced by all today.
Finally, landing on the 9th floor, one can find a floor entirely dedicated to creativity and bringing one’s innovative solutions to life through art, technology, woodworking, photography, electronics, and a lot more.

Here, one can do numerous fun activities, like disassembling and reassembling objects or learning about robotics and how to make a robot. One can also tinker with opening, screwing, drilling, cutting, sanding, and polishing objects in a safe environment. Art Studio allows one to draw, paint, sculpt, make, and bake ceramics or learn about art history. Rapid Prototyping Studio brings ideas to life using 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC routers. Children can also enter the Woodworking Studio to create anything ranging from a birdhouse to a boat. One can also mix up sounds and make music with different electronic equipment inside a sound-proof recording studio.
To sum everything up, this museum is just too huge to explore and enjoy completely in under 3 hours as allotted for every visit. A second visit is a must. It enhances one’s thinking capability and imparts knowledge and awareness about nature, all while entertaining in a fun and unique way. A museum with a difference – MuSO

Hello friends! I’m Shaina. I’m 8 Years old and I bought this book on my 5th birthday to date, it’s one of my favorite books! Being a big fan of Princess Elsa (the queen with magical powers) I choose this book to travel through time to a frozen adventure!

Who is the author/publisher of this book?
It’s a very pretty book published by Disney Books

What is this book about?
This book is about the two famous sisters Elsa and Anna, their hilarious accomplice Olaf (the snowman, and the sweet Kristoff. It’s a wonderful collection of adventures and stories beyond the script of the movie filled with Disney Magic!

What do I like about the book?
The book has loads and loads of colorful pictures. The illustrations are wonderful! The storyline is easy to follow. I love that there is nothing ‘evil/scary’ in this storybook. Its pages have a silver edge which makes it look beautiful! The pictures and storyline bring out the magic of Arendelle alive! A perfect bedtime read.

Why should one read this book?
This book is a perfect treat for Frozen fans! It takes you through a fulfilled ride of enchanting stories and teaches young minds the importance of sibling love, that no one is perfect and there is power in being different (i.e. being yourself). It fosters values of friendship, compassion, and loyalty through strong messages also the fact that “there are things worth melting for”…. 😊
Happy reading!

“A picture book is a small door to the enormous world of the visual arts, and they’re often the first art a young person sees.”

Tomie Depaola extensively advocated for the need to read. One can learn anything and everything about anything and everything – he time and again reiterated. As basic and simple as it sounds, we often forget in today’s time and age the significance of reading. What it does to our younger versions, and how it shapes us as human beings, the contribution of books to our lives is of paramount importance.

Tomie Depaola was born and brought up in Connecticut, US. An author and illustrator with hundreds of books to his credit, Depaola wrote passionately about varied diverse subjects, quite a bit of which has been borrowed from his own life or inspired by his life experiences.

His most popular work happens to be the ‘Strega Nona’ series, where Magic Pasta pot floods and buries a town with abundant amounts of Pasta. The series involves a long list of titles – ‘Big Anthony and the magic ring’, ‘Strega Nona’s magic lessons’, ‘Merry Christmas, Strega Nona’, ‘Strega Nona meets her match’, ‘Strega Nona – Her Story’, ‘Big Anthony – His Story’, and many more.

Depaola’s heartwarming stories provided a sense of warmth and relatability for kids and teens alike. He strived for the cause of children making peace with their identities, exploring them, and embracing their distinct place in this world. How important is it to create that safe space, and bring in the necessary literary comfort for a little soul to immerse into it and blossom!

Another significant piece of work in Depaola’s bibliography ‘26 Fairmount Avenue’, a memoir that deals with the author’s early childhood memories involving his close friends and family. His house (and space) too plays a significant part in the timeline of events that leave a pleasant aftertaste.

Folktales, board books, picture books, illustrations, memoirs – Depaola wrote across forms and sub-genres, with the ever-consistent honesty and purity spanning across it all. ‘Front porch tales and North Country Whoppers’, ‘The art lesson’, ‘Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs’, ‘Bill and Pete’, ‘Boss for a day’, ‘Mary had a little lamb’, ‘Little grunt and the big egg’, ‘Angels angels everywhere’, the titles across forms amount to a long spread out list.

Depaola’s admiration for art and numerous different kinds of art forms was fairly evident all throughout his career, both in terms of practicing it on his own, incorporating it into his writings, and endorsing it in general while addressing media and the masses through his conversations for years. Layers and nuances find their way into his writings and illustrations very seamlessly, resulting in a tender blend of his gentle creative vision and hopeful philosophical outlook.

In his adorably beautiful book named ‘Look and be grateful’, Depaola simply writes ‘Today is today. And it is a gift.’ The character wakes up and perceives the world through a newfound sense of gratefulness and thankfulness for anything and everything under the sun.

It inspires us to look around and appreciate the little things. People, nature, love!

When I started going to school
I was frightened to see the rules
There was a teacher told my mother
Who would guide and make things smoother
I was prepared for the day
But was thinking what to say
As I entered into my new class
Teacher came and held me from mass
She smiled at me and made me sit
On a bench where I could fit
I kept my bag and looked everywhere
To check what was happening here and there
That day I learnt a lot about dance
I did a little holding her hands
We read a story from the book
It was about Robin Hood
My fear for the school was vanished
And I was very astonished
With the flow of time
I was learning lessons for a lifetime
Teachers are the best guide
Who are always by our side
They always help us grow
And make us more and more to know

Writing a poem is a craft
I am making a draft
Putting the words in a cart
To touch my favourite person’s heart

Before I reveal who, he is,
Get to know more about him!

He takes good care of me,
He teaches me how to study
He works for my family

He is my superhero
He is the rainbow in my sky
He is a lovely gift to me
He is The God to me

The morning when he drops me off,
I give him a kiss.
If he is not there in the Evening,
I will Miss!

He will hug me when I am Right,
In return will give me a doughnut to bite.

He will make me laugh when I am sad,
I will go mad when he is sad

He takes all my problems away,
He Brings happiness right away.

He prevents me from being hurt,
If hurt, he treats me fast.

His favourite pet is a dog,
His favourite colour is black.
His favourite flower is rose,
His favourite car is Benz.
Between all of the above and me
What would he choose?

No doubt, he will only choose me
As I am his sunshine

No one can fill his space,
Everyone can only compete in the race

I will never leave his hand,
He will never leave my heart.
As he is my DAD,
And
I will stay with him forever

At 3 I started to go to school,
Preschool.
All I did then, was play in the pool,
Listen to stories and have fun, with
Kids at school.
At 6 I started grade one,
Primary school
Where I had friends none,
Classwork all done.
Back to bus, I would run.
Still school was fun..
At 9 I started grade four,
Middle school.
I am learning different sports,
And new form of arts .
Happy the day goes in a snap
and it’s time everybody claps,
For my wonderful poem of maps.
Love every day to go to school…
Glad that I have teachers and friends very cool..
Who not only taught me to get better grades
But also taught me to laugh and smile.
Completed reading the books in a pile,
Never know when we crossed the mile .
And reached the day the year ends with medals and results in high percentile.
Love every day to go to school.

My favorite is the one who never won any awards
Not a familiar person, great personality, or a scholar
But, she is my all-time favorite I feel blessed to honor her!

She is my calendar because she designs my day!
She is my pet cock, wakes me up every day!
She is my nutritionist, gives me yummy and healthy food
She is my doctor 24X7, she cares for me when I’m unwell
She is my mentor, teaches me every day!

I wonder how one can be all, yes, she is….
Either I win or lose her smile at me never change.
Sometimes she makes me cry but I never hate her
Because she lives for me!

God’s beautiful creation is she, why I say this?
Because she is the one bare all the pain, to give birth
of me to this world, she lost her nutrition, health,
her fairness everything but she never care for that when I’m with her .
She always treats me as a Prince, either I’m looking good or not
She cuddles me and say “My beautiful Prince”.

I do not exist without her, she taught me to talk, walk, sing
dance, learn everything I need… Oh! God, you send her to raise me
as you can’t? As a slave every day she nurtures me.
How beautiful and great the mothers are!

No one can be heartily favorite other than their Mom
My favorite is the right choice because all moms are angels with no wings…
they are the kids’ first mentor, guide, speech therapist, friend, foe, and all…
Because they are everything to their kids…
I love you, mom….

I love Myself, Simply Do, Even If I scare myself like Boo.
I love myself the most indeed, yeah,I love myself, it’s me.
I smile every mile.
I do art. It’s a new start.
I trust everyone and it is a must when I play with my friends.
I find new ways, I share my toys and it gives me joys.
I play with my friends like there’s no end.
I want to confess to the rest, there is no other person just like me in my life! 🙂