‘If you want your children to be intelligent, read fairy tales to them,’ Einstein used to say. He was absolutely right, as books are a window to a different, but fair world. Good always wins there and the ‘they lived happily ever after’ sentence is the truth itself. Latest researches on the development of human brain show that it is essential for the kids to start hearing the voices of their parents as of the earliest age possible. The funniest way to achieve this is to read a fairytale together. Everyone likes a good story about faraway lands, dragons and princesses.

‘We Read Together, We Grow up Together’ – this is the motto of the Bulgarian Book Association initiative, named Book Parade. Its goal is to reveal to the children at least a small part of the wealth and thousands of adventures, hidden in the pages of the beautiful books. Thus kids will begin to love reading imperceptibly, without this occupation’s turning into a dull obligation. Devoted to their love for children and books the organizers of the Book Parade have prepared different surprises for the 7th edition of the event:

“The campaign started on April 2nd – the International Children’s Book Day and will end on April 23rd – the World Book and Copyright Day," says Milena Dimitrova, a member of the organizing team. “The Reading Marathon will take place within that period, seizing 68 libraries across the country. Each one of those has prepared its own program – meetings with writers and different talks related to children’s books, as well as art workshops. The Magic Pearl literature award, handed to nominated children by their favorite author is another national campaign within the Book Parade. The first ever Sofia-held International Literature Festival for Children and Teenagers will take place on April 18 – 22nd. Different reading-related activities will be organized in the course of 5 days at the Youth Theatre. Actors from the theatre will read their favorite fairytale books throughout the parade. We will present contemporary European literature for children and teenagers within the frames of the festival. We will have 10 internationally recognized writers from the genre as guests, Gilles Paris /France/ and Guy Bass /GB/ among others. There will also be an exhibition of Bulgarian children’s illustration and the Book Knight award will be handed on April 23rd – given to a person or an institution with particular contribution to books and reading.”

The house and museum of great fairytale writer Angel Karaliychev in Sofia will also open its doors for free to visitors on April 3 – 5th and 10 – 13th. One can see there objects from the author’s life, alongside his collection of books and the awards received through the years. It is an interesting detail that he is the second most translated writer after patriarch of the Bulgarian literature Ivan Vazov. The stories and works of talented storyteller Angel Karaliychev have been translated into more than 50 languages.

One more idea, socially aimed, will be implemented within the frames of the Book Parade. Children from different cities will read in front of elderly people from nursing homes, in order to chase away at least for a while the loneliness from their souls and to bring in some warmth into their hearts.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev