The first session of the Story Club at our neighborhood library, Bookspace, was great fun! I thoroughly enjoyed narrating the story and interacting with the participants.

We made new friends, heard about everyone’s favorite stories, and sang aloud. We chatted about our favorite cities in India and why we loved them (votes went to Nagpur for its delicious fruits, Mumbai for its malls, and even Bengaluru for its metro trains!).

Then, we traveled to the bustling city of Delhi and took a spin around the capital of India via Arjun’s eyes. Arjun, the auto. The chosen story was Ken Spillman’s “The Auto That Flew ”, from one of my favorite publishers, Pratham Books.

It was a wondrous, magical journey!

We gushed over the gorgeous illustrations by Ajanta Guhathakurta.

Finally, it was activity time! The topic: “If I could fly”. Some chose to draw, others chose to write. And what a great time we had letting our imagination speak through pictures and words.

Here’s a summary of the storytelling session.

Book/Story: The Auto That Flew (Pratham Books) , written by Ken Spillman, illustrated by Ajanta Guhathakurta

Session Duration: 1 hour

Age Group of Participants: 5 – 8 years

Session Outline:

1. Warm-up

We introduced ourselves and talked about our favorite stories.

2. Music and Song

The song “India Meri Hai” from Young India Books

We watched the video and sang aloud with the help of printed lyrics.

3. Discussion

My Favorite City in India. What’s your answer?

4. Storytelling by Anita — The Auto That Flew

An interactive session with discussions about the characters, about the  famous sights in Delhi.

We talked about our dreams, we imagined what would happen if we experienced a touch of magic :) (turning into an eagle, transforming into a princess, growing wings, traveling to space… so many possibilities…)

5. Picture Review

We observed the beautiful pictures and described them.

6. Discussion and Activity

Topic: If I Could Fly

Activity: Write a few sentences or draw a picture to describe what you would do if you could fly.

This one was a hit with the kids. At the end of the session, we were overwhelmed by the beautiful pictures and creative ideas.

Have you used “The Auto That Flew” in a storytelling session or a children’s book club? I’d love to hear about your experience!