Upon arriving at the public library, the children were warmly welcomed and were able to take their seats amid the special atmosphere created by the bookshelves. As in previous readings, the girls and boys were actively involved in the event: The author presented her books vividly with pictures, spoke animatedly about her daily work, and repeatedly engaged the children with questions and conversations. This created an open and motivating learning atmosphere in which reading became a tangible experience.
The author read from her book *Familienbande* to the first-grade students. In this humorous comic, Lilli L’Arronge recounts the everyday life of a family. The stories depict typical situations between parents and children—sometimes funny, sometimes chaotic, but always full of love. The children could relate to many of the scenes and had a lot to laugh about.
The book that was read aloud to the second-grade students is called “Toni’s Day.” This picture book follows Toni and his family through an entire day. One particularly intriguing question is: What do the other family members actually do while Toni is at preschool? In this way, the book offers different perspectives on everyday life and encourages close observation and storytelling.
A highlight was looking at the illustrations together: The children discovered many details, described situations, and shared their own experiences. A Q&A session was also a must—the students were curious to know how a book is created and where the author gets her ideas. To wrap things up, the well-known illustrator created a live drawing based on the children’s ideas. The resulting illustration will now be used at school—there, the children can color it in at their leisure and add their own creative touches.
A copy of the book was provided for our school library for each grade level. This allows the children to reread the stories later and explore them in greater depth.
Special thanks go to the Gronau Public Library for making this reading possible once again. Joint events, such as today’s author reading, are beneficial for promoting reading. Not only did the children get to meet an author in person, but they also rediscovered the library as a vibrant place of learning and discovery.
The costs for the author reading were covered by the Startchancen budget. Our goal is to promote reading in a sustainable way and give all children access to exciting books and special cultural experiences.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Lilli L’Arronge and the Gronau Public Library for this special experience, and we look forward to future projects together!
Please click for a larger view of the photos!