Several publishers specialized in publishing children’s books at 32nd Doha International Book Fair asserted that the success of children’s books in the Arab world is closely interconnected with the extent of values and morals such books contain, in addition to the design’s esthetics that bring joy to children and attract them to reading.
In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) during a tour to the book fair, the publishers said there is a moral responsibility vested in children’s parents to select books that preserve Islamic and Arab identity and attractively grow their knowledge and skills.
For her part, writer Asma Abdul-Latif Al-Kuwari, Director of Nabja Printing and Publishing specialized in children’s literature said the publishing house is the first one specialized in children’s literature, pointing out that the selection of this field came to highlight the value and message to nurture the community’s culture starting from early childhood to help build the fans of reading from children of this generation who adhere to their values and culture. She outlined that the selection of the children’s book is not easy in terms of presentation or selection.
Al-Kuwari added that as makers of children’s books the publishing enterprises should have high standards in selecting this book which is offered to children in quest of consolidating culture and values and present the book to children with the form and appearance that best suit them, emphasizing that parents should always be keen to select books that attract children to love reading, adding that the books must be useful because children deserve the best.
The publisher and director of Dar Al-Buraq for Children’s Culture in Iraq Muhammad Al Qasimi said the publishing house initiated its mission to make children’s books and seeks to develop this field because such kind of books are different from the normal ones considering the evolution of this field with the constant technological evolution and smart phone applications.
He outlined that Doha International Book Fair is an opportunity to get familiarized with the current evolution which is globally emerging through following up on the materials provided by foreign publishers, confirming that the fair is not solely confined to selling out books, but rather to have a glimpse of the evolution which is emerging globally in this industry.
He pointed out that Dar Al-Buraq strives to attain this quality to make sure that the Arabic book competes its foreign counterpart, because Arab children deserve care and the best things that can be provided to them and from there comes the interest in children’s toys and educational methods, as children need help to learn computer by the same token of toys.
He outlined that the promotion of publishing industry needs familiarity with international experiences that preceded this field, in addition to counting on their presented ideas, but these ideas, he said, should be implemented and be tailored to the Arab environment, as well as benefiting from the Arab experiences that are derived from book fairs, including Doha book fair.
For her part, Shop Noon Books, Nahed Al Shawa from the Arabic children’s books in Canada said her publishing house is keen to present the Arabic books to its sons and daughters in diaspora, adding that children’s mindset should be respected through offering good texts.
Source: Qatar News Agency