Who is Golgappu? No, we are not referring to golgappas here – we are talking about a chubby five-year -boy who is full of questions on how his favourite dishes are made! The Golgappu "Farm to Table" and "How to Make" series of children’s educational and informative storybooks by Mrs. Tarla Dalal was recently launched in Mumbai. Targeted at children between the ages of 2 and 7, the books are a fun way to teach kids about food, how it grows, and how things we eat everyday are made. Through simple, colourfully illustrated stories about the lovable Golgappu and his family, the books introduce children to science and maths skills, and help cultivate healthy eating habits.
The launch at Crosswords attracted loads of curious children and their equally interested moms. The event began with a story reading session from one the books - Golgappu Makes a Pizza, and the kids listened to the story with rapt attention. They participated in the question and answer session with enthusiasm, and were able to recount how a pizza was made! Said a child, “Take pizza bread, spread some sauce on it, put the toppings over it, sprinkle the cheese, bake it, slice it, and eat it. So easy!”
After the story reading session the kids moved to the activity corner and made a paper pizza. They imprinted onion, mushroom and tomato prints on circles of paper, rolled on some sauce with red paint, sprinkled some shredded yellow paper cheese and crumpled green olives, and placed the finished pizza on a paper plate with glee. “Yummy, mummy,” exclaimed an excited four-year-old. “This is fun. Let’s go home and make pizzas today with Golgappu.” To round off the event the kids were treated to delectable mini pizzas.
Other books in the series include Golgappu Makes French Fries, Golgappu Makes Ice Cream, and Golgappu Makes Orange Juice. Each book also has recipes that go with the theme of the book, and mothers and children can spend happy moments learning about different foods. The books are available at leading bookstores so introduce your kids to Golgappu soon! Coming soon are Golgappu Makes Tomato Soup, Golgappu Makes A Dosa, Golgappu Makes Popcorn, Golgappu Makes A Cake, Golgappu Makes Fruit Salad, and Golgappu Makes Vitamin Bhel.
The books will make a great gift for the festive season…not only are they informative, they are entertaining too!
