NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 9, 2009: National Book Trust, India, and United Nations Children’s Fund have come together to start a project titled “Documenting Oral Storytelling Tradition” to scientifically present India’s vast oral tradition of children’s stories, puzzles, legends, folk and traditional games as supplementary reading material in an enjoyable, attractively designed format.
The idea is to connect children to the culture of reading, especially folk and oral tradition, by involving their parents in the reading exercise.
NCERT Director Krishna Kumar lauded the initiative: “Our children have lost the culture of listening and hence the ability to analyze and debate. The entire concept of oral tradition is based on the culture of listening that is inculcated among children and such an initiative will most probably make our children more culturally aware and hence better citizens.”
The first set of the books is likely to be released during the upcoming 19th New Delhi World Book Fair.