Last month Australian author and illustrator Frane Lessac was visiting India. While on tour she was in Delhi to participate in the Bookaroo festival. It so happened that I heard of her visit. So along with the help of the Australian High Commission, New Delhi and Dr Shalini Advani, Director, Pathways School, NOIDA we arranged to have Frane Lessac visit the school on 23 Nov 2012 to interact with the form 4 and 5 students.

Frane Lessac used a variety of mediums to conduct a session. It included drawing on paper and using the computer while telling stories. She did it all so convincingly that the imaginary world became a reality for the students.

According to an email I received after the event from Dr Advani “It was quite a magical session. The kids really loved her, as you saw from their pursuing her even as we were walking down the corridors.” According to Aparna Gupta who helped co-ordinate the event on behalf of the Australian High Commission “Frane was very happy with the children at the school and was very impressed that they took time to read her website and books.” Whereas for Frane Lessac “My greatest ambition is to instill pride and self-esteem in children about their unique heritage and their own ability to capture in it pictures and words.”

Some pictures of the interaction: