For such small people, kids sure know how to create a big fuss about food. It’s always a joy to watch your child polish off a healthy, home-cooked meal, and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2018) is taking this up a notch by trying to encourage children make some of these healthy recipes themselves!

An elegant caesar salad and chocolate mousse prepared using molecular gastronomy to entice the aspiring chefs in attendance were on the day’s menu. Chef Sami from the popular Dubai-based café and cookery school, Culinary Boutique, made the culinary experience fun and interactive by asking simple questions related to the ingredients and cooking methods of both recipes.

Young chefs closely analysed the fresh ingredients and turned it into a simple and delicious snack that they couldn’t wait to eat. The reason according to the workshop conductor was that they were active participants of the process of creation and, thus, wanted to enjoy the reward of their hard work and creativity in  the end.  

What’s better, SCRF 2018 mascots, Wamda and Noqta, paid a surprise visit making everyone in the workshop jump with joy! 

In the days that follow, children will be taught how to make healthy chicken wraps, fruit salads, sushi, simple pastas, rice cakes and lots more.

The festival’s events span several programmes, under the main themes of Kids Activities, Cultural Programmes, Cultural Café, Kids' Creative Café, Social Media Café and Cookery Corner. SCRF 2018 also features a series of international theatrical performances like ‘Tuta and Monkey Cheetah’, and the ‘Island of Kids’ Area’ that combine education, fun and entertainment to highlight the values of honesty to young visitors.

A prime highlight of the festival this year is its first 3D Book Exhibition, featuring 250 pop-up books from the 3D Book Centre in Forli, Italy. The books have been handpicked by the exhibition curators to represent eight different periods of time. One of SCRF’s mainstays, the Sharjah Exhibition for Children’s Books Illustrations, is featuring 355 artworks by 104 illustrators from 32 countries this year.