For the young ones to have fun...

digital initiatives

The initiative aims to revive the art of storytelling and kids develop an interest in reading.

The most viewed story is a Kannada retelling of an African folk tale ‘The Elephant’s Nose’ by M D Pallavi.

‘Missed Call Do, Kahaani Suno’

Pratham Books, in an effort to revive storytelling, has launched the second edition of their ‘Missed Call Do, Kahaani Suno’ campaign in collaboration with United Way India.

You don’t need a smart phone or internet connection; give a missed call to 08033094243 and you will receive a call back on your phone. 300 stories are available in four languages — English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. A caller can listen to two stories, back-to-back, in the language of your choice. This is available 24x7. “When the same caller dials again, the system recognises the number and it picks the next two stories from the sequence,” explains Himanshu Giri, chief executive officer, Pratham Books.

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The stories have been carefully curated to help foster listening skills, build vocabulary, and develop an enthusiasm for reading.

They have received about one lakh calls since the campaign began on April 23. Regional languages, Himanshu says, have been the most in demand with Marathi leading the way, followed by Hindi and Kannada. They plan to keep the effort running after the lockdown ends as well.