A unique Czech literary-dramatic festival Children, Do You Read?! is focusing on children's (non)reading for the thirteenth time. The topic, which is no foreign topic to wise parents or dedicated experts, is highlighted in more than twenty author readings, discussions with writers and poets, art workshops or theatre, and even a musical performance. The festival is spread across the fall in many locations not only in Prague, but from west to east across the country.
"Although this year will be the 13th edition of the festival, Children, Do You Read?! has never grown to a huge size and remains more of an intimate, family event. But just as the locations are growing, so is the range of visitors, because they no longer have to travel to Prague to find literature and art for children, but can attend many workshops and discussions in their own towns," says publisher Ivana Pecháčková, the founder of the festival.
The current 13th year of the festival will be officially opened on Wednesday the 14th of September at the Werichova Vila in Kampa by Ivana Pecháčková together with other organizers and distinguished guests. The opening will be combined with four workshops and a musical performance by Marka Míková's band Zuby nehty. As every year, the festival Children, Do You Read?! draws its programme from a selection of independent experts on children's literature in the catalogue called Nejlepší knihy dětem (the Best Children's Books), published by SČKN and the Czech Section of IBBY.
In it, we can find an overview of the best books published in our country in the past year. Titles from previous editions of the catalogue will be on sale at the 2veverky bookstore stand throughout the first and third day of the festival in the garden of Werichova Vila.
The concept of the festival allows the production team to include a larger number of titles in the catalogue of the Best Children's Books for 2020/2021. Thanks to this, children and parents can look forward to the versatile artist Marka Míková and her book Rýmovačky opičí (Monkey Rhymes), illustrators Zuzana Čupová and Štěpánka Jislová, Renata Fučíková with her book Hrdinky (Heroes), author readings by Daniela Fischerová or Klára Pondělíčková, the theatre performance Malý pán (The Little Master) performed by Divadlo B, but also a brand new linguistic project by Zdeněk Troup and Standa Plecitý connected with a concert or an urban workshop with Osamu Okamura on the book Město pro každého (City for Everyone). There will also be the traditional travelling exhibition of illustrations and books from the Best Books for Children catalogue, whose first stop this year will be Ústřední městská knihovna (the Central City Library) in Prague.
The complete programme, including an overview of the participating institutions, can be found on the website www.detictete.cz with illustrations by Nikola Hoření from Michal Šanda's book Rukulíbám. All events (except those for whole primary school classes) are free of charge - you just need to book your place via Goout.cz.
The second day of the festival will take place on the 16th of September at the Centrum české dětské knihy (Czech Children's Book Centre). The events include: Forest Creation with Animals, Forest Creation with Animals - Art Workshop for the Czech-Ukrainian Book, Potrefená husa - Zajícova smrt - Art Workshop for the book Přeřekadla, How to spark passion for reading in young children - lecture for parents and Read the City - Urban Planning Workshop for the book Město pro každého (City for Everyone).
About the festival
History of the festival Children, Do You Read?! dates back to 2010. In an effort to provide adults and children with a shared experience of reading as an unexpected adventure, a multimedia event was held at Strahovský klášter. It reminded children and all those who read to them that we are continuously producing quality and inspiring children's books. Small publishers drew attention in the Božena Němcová Hall to their full-blown production, which nobody really knew about, and from the collections of the Memorial of National Literature the most beautiful titles published in the 1990s were exhibited. Thus a two-day, then a weekend and, from 2020, even a four-month festival full of events for all children's readers and their parents was created.
Children, Do You Read?! is organised by the Knižní stezka k dětem (Book Trail to Children Association) in cooperation with the Meander publishing house.