When Children Read with the Beat

I hold dear three moments most from my recent “Read with the Beat” session at Our Tampines Hub Library: Mermaid’s Ball, the picnic-like atmosphere of parents and children sitting on mats on the floor, and the sound of parents and children reading the words along with me.

As a visually-impaired author, I often wonder how children who cannot see illustrations experience picture books. That question shaped the way I write. It also led my husband, Rush, and me to experiment with a storytelling style we now call Story-Oke.

The words and illustrations from my books appear on screen while I narrate to music and sound effects. Families can listen or read along.

On 2 May, we brought Story-Oke to Programme Zone 1 at Our Tampines Hub Library as part of a session supported by the National Library Board’s Accessible Reading Materials and Resources department.

What struck me was how quickly some children caught the rhythm. Before long, some kids and their parents were joining in with the words. That made me smile.

So I was relieved to hear giggles in all the places where I had hoped they would pop up.

After Mermaid On A Mountaintop, some of the children “attended” Mermaid’s Ball with their parents and siblings. We danced to Mist of My Memory, the song Rush and I wrote for the story.

And yes, there were fart cushions.

Our musical chairs game ended with one young champion facing a final challenge. While the song played, he had to sit whenever he heard the words “fawt” or “pawt” and jump back up again straight after. My niece, Aisyah, joined him so he would not have to do it alone.

Whenever the song reached “Friends forever”, the whole room shouted the words back.

Children.

Parents.

Everyone.

After the session ended, some families stayed behind to chat while their children played with the fart cushions still scattered around the room. That kind of joy in children is what I hope I can give with each Story-Oke session.

Thank you to librarians Keisha, Alexis, and Nad for making me feel so welcome.

Thank you to my niece, Aisyah, for helping out despite having a midnight flight to catch later that day.

And thank you to everyone who came.

May the children and the library remain … friends forever.

Till the next tale,

Sherri Eri

P.S. If you would like to bring a Story-Oke session to your school, library, or community space, you can reach me through Picture the Book.

Originally published here.

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