Bond Over Bindings was one of the first places I thought of when planning my book tour in Bangalore. I wanted to do storytelling in a vibrant and cheerful space, and BOB was exactly that. The store and reading space were clean, well-organized, and had calming lights that made me want to sink into a chair and read.
But as the host, I couldn’t do that just yet, for I was eagerly met by students from the neighboring Star Public School. From the moment they stepped into the store until it was time to leave, they expressed nothing but enthusiasm.
For my session, the kids each got a copy of my book, “The Postwoman and Other Stories,” and traced the pictures with their fingers as I narrated “A Christmas Story.” We paused once in a while to discuss life in the mountains, why landslides were becoming more frequent, and how it was related to deforestation.
But the crux of the session was to learn and discover how to celebrate our favorite festivals in a sustainable way, without generating huge amounts of waste. This led to the most exciting activity, making stars from ice cream sticks!
Compared to my shabby star, the kids made colorful ones in the most perfect shapes. Their passion and zeal to learn new things were shown in their conversations about where they would hang the star and how else they could celebrate upcoming festivals sustainably.
I couldn’t have asked for a better host than Neha, who welcomed me with her warm smile, a hug, and a large mug of coffee. I really appreciate her incredible effort to make BOB an inclusive space where all children, irrespective of their social status, can come inside and enjoy a book!
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