Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Education Programme 2023

Hello Mr. Gum!

Time: 10:30-11:30
Location: Bursa Stage
Age: 7+

Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun and corn on the cob.

Join author Andy Stanton in this hilariously entertaining and rib-aching session full of jokes, props, silly voices and horrible, horrible singing as he explores his Mr Gum series and gives an insight into his childhood and how he became a writer.

Andy Stanton is the multi award-winning children’s author of the Mr Gum books, which have sold nearly three million copies in the UK alone and been translated into more than thirty languages.

Junior Spotlight

Time: 16:00-17:00
Location: Edutainment Stage
Age: All Ages
Language: English/Arabic

Get ready to be amazed and entertained as youngsters from throughout Abu Dhabi take to the stage to show off their creative talents in dance, drama, poetry and music, performances.

Interested in performing in one of our Junior Spotlight sessions? Register your school’s interest now and the education team will be in contact to confirm the success of your students’ performance and other details.

Teachers and parents can also book to attend the performance as an audience.

Citrus the Smoothie Sloth

Time: 9:00-10:00
Location: Ayasofya Stage
Age: 6+

Sloths should be sleepy… but Citrus didn’t feel sleepy at all! He wanted his friends to love his home-made smoothies, but they just wanted to keep on napping… Until Millie Monkey comes up with a great idea that makes everyone happy. Join Ebtisam Al-Beiti as she reads Citrus the Smoothie Sloth in this interactive and fun event for younger children, encouraging them to be more adventurous in trying new tastes.

Ebtisam Al-Beiti is a published Children’s Author and highly experienced Early Years Professional. Writing a children’s book was always on her bucket list until it became a reality in March 2020.

Ebtisam lives with her family in Dubai and is not to be confused with her identical twin sister!

Together We Can Change the World

Time: 11:00-12:00
Location: Bursa Stage
Age: 6+

We are never too young to discover that with love, courage and compassion we can all take responsibility for planet Earth. In her delightful series of books, Beverly Jatwani highlights the issue of endangered animals in an accessible way; in each story a child forms a connection with a different animal, spread across the seven continents. This time she is introducing a new animal friend: Gogo the Mountain Gorilla. Join us to take a voyage around the world and its disappearing wildlife! A mindfulness coloring activity will follow the book reading.

Beverly Jatwani’s upbringing in India was rooted in outdoor play: muddy knees and climbing trees is best how she describes her childhood. This inspired her to co-found the Middle East’s first green children’s nursery, and to then write a series of children’s books that capture the innate love and affinity that children have with Mother Earth.

Don’t Ask the Dragon

Time: 9:00-10:00
Location: Bursa Stage
Age: 6+

Author Lemn Sissay and illustrator Greg Stobbs want to take you on an adventure. Join their hero Alem, who wants somewhere to celebrate his birthday – but where should he go? Maybe the bear, the fox, the tree frog or the bulldog know; but what about the dragon… Should Alem ask him, or might he be just too scary? A warm-hearted and fun event is guaranteed – plus party hats, interaction and some drawing!

Lemn Sissay OBE is a BAFTA-nominated multi-award-winning poet, playwright, memoirist, performer and broadcaster. He has authored collections of poetry and plays and his memoir My Name Is Why was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. He brings his gift for words to this rhyming folk tale that celebrate friendship and belonging.

Greg Stobbs is an illustrator, street artist and visual development artist from the UK, with an overactive imagination which he brings to this beautifully illustrated book.

Rebel of the Sands

Time: 12:00-13:00
Location: Ayasofya Stage
Age: 12+

Sixteen-year-old Amani Al’Hiza has the elemental power to control the sands of the desert. An orphan, she itches to leave Dustwalk, her dead end home town, where she lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. She escapes and travels across the desert with Jin, a mysterious foreigner. They encounter many dangers along the journey as they defend themselves against mythical creatures such as the ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Skinwalkers’. Along the way, Amani finds the answers to the many secrets about herself, her mysterious foreigner and the ‘Rebel Prince’.

Traitor to the Throne, the sequel of Rebel of the Sands, continues to follow the story of Amani, who happens to be half Djinn and have elemental powers.

Alwyn Hamilton is a Canadian author of YA fantasy fiction.

Hop Lola Hop

Time: 9:00-10:00
Location: Bursa Stage
Age: 6+

Lola is a bunny who loves to hop, hop, hop and join her best friend Ella on their adventures, but sometimes she hops a little too far… How will Ella find her again? Hop away with Lola and Ella in another magical adventure, full of heart and hope.

Kathy Urban is a multilingual journalist and the author of the Hop Lola Hop series about the adventures of a beloved bunny named Lola. The second book in the series A Yummy Market Day Adventure has just been published.

An avid reader, Kathy grew up admiring the works of great storytellers and the imaginary worlds they created. But it was listening to the stories her dad would tell her that prompted Kathy to make up stories for her own children.

A Twiggy Harmful Thingy

Time: 9:00-10:00
Location: Edutainment Stage
Age:6+

Do you think those little plastic straws are too small to make any harm?

Well, you are in for a surprise as these plastic straws are bad for the world we live in. Join author Elif Yonat Toğay as she reads her story A Twiggy Harmful Thingy. In this fun and engaging session, you will learn about the harmful effects of plastic on our planet, and how little changes in our daily lives can make a big difference. You will be happy to discover how you can play an active role in protecting our planet and preserving the beauty of our environment.

Elif Yonat Toğay
Impatient. But for the love of a squirrel, she can quietly endure hours beneath a tree.
Attentive. But so thrilled by spotting a flying fish that she can fall off the canoe.
Punctual. But can lose track of time following a hoopoe or can swim among exotic fish until her fingers and toes are wrinkled.
Skilled estimator. But whenever she collects pine cones or seashells in distant lands, her bag will never close.
She loves Asian elephants, African penguins and seahorses. Unfortunately, she has not spotted a single seahorse in 28 years. Yet, in the old days, she came face to face with three of them. In a single day!
She doesn’t have any bad habits except for eating potato chips occasionally.
She just goes about her life, inconspicuously…

Elif is a NatGeo certified educator and Turkish author of children’s books which have been published in numerous languages.

Children of the Quicksands

Time: 12:00-13:00
Location: Bursa Stage
Age: 10+

Join acclaimed author Efua as she takes us on a mystical journey to Nigeria, weaving together modern life and Nigerian folklore in her richly imagined magical realist adventures Children of the Quicksands and The House of Shells.

Combining Yoruba mythology with powerful messages about fitting in and being true to yourself, Efua will discuss the inspirations for her stories, and the importance of exploring unfamiliar places and cultures through the pages of a book.

Efua Traoré is a Nigerian-German story writer. She won the regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2018 and won the Times/Chicken House Prize for her debut novel. She was nominated for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2022. The Sunday Times and the Guardian named it among the best books for children in 2022.

Registration

All 17 of the English and Arabic sessions are free to attend from 22-28 May 2023.

To attend any of the sessions with your students, simply register using the form linked below.