About three weeks ago, a couple of moms in my residential community were seeking Hindi tuition teachers for their 5-year-olds. They struggled to get their children interested in reading and writing Hindi. This reminded me of my own challenges with my son, which led me to create a riddle book with fun Hindi activities for kids to make learning the language more engaging. Their queries inspired me to host a Hindi Diwas event in our community library that I set up this summer, aiming to spark a love for Hindi in children aged 5-10, not through forced learning, but by engaging their natural curiosity.

The next morning, while on my walk, I met an author who writes Hindi books for older children and adults. He had recently compiled a list of Hindi poems for kids, written by his friend, and these poems were short, sweet, and quirky, with catchy illustrations. This sparked an idea—why not invite a group of children to recite these poems? The humour and fun in them seemed perfect to capture the kids’ attention.

As names started pouring in, the excitement grew. Many kids wanted to read their poems, some they had written, and others they found online. I encouraged them to choose whatever they wanted to share, as I firmly believe learning should never be forced—there should always be joy in it!

On Hindi Diwas, a wonderful group of enthusiastic kids arrived to recite their poems. Some added actions to their performances, while others let the words speak for themselves. I was particularly amazed by a 4-year-old boy who recited a poem with fantastic gestures. One of the moms, a supporter of Pratham Books, joined us to read a delightful Hindi story, Goal, from their collection. The event wrapped up with a memorable poem about Golgappas, read by a father-son duo who had composed it together. Seeing such active involvement from parents, especially fathers, was heartening. It echoed the core idea behind my books, which are written in a conversational style between a child, Abdu, and his parents. Creating these shared moments of joy, or as I call them, LitJoys, while learning together is at the heart of everything I strive to achieve. This Hindi Diwas event was a perfect example of joyful, collaborative learning that left everyone smiling.