Michael Panckridge and Alison Lester interact with kids at Oxford Bookstore on Park Street. Picture by Rashbehari Das

“As a child in Geelong in Victoria, Australia, I grew up playing all kinds of sports, including cricket and soccer. Cricket is one of the most popular sports there. It was a pleasant surprise to find such love for the game in India as well,” said children’s book author Michael Panckridge.

Panckridge, along with illustrator Alison Lester, was in the city for an interactive session with children to improve reading habits, at Oxford Bookstore, Park Street, on December 1. The duo also visited Delhi and Bangalore as part of their India tour.

While Panckridge, whose protagonists are often young sports fanatics, spoke about his childhood, including his love for cricket and lollies, Lester, who has authored over 25 picture books for children, showed the young audience how to make quick sketches.

Panckridge, many of whose books in the Toby Jones series include cricketing tips by Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, conducted a short quiz with the kids. He asked them to identify the games depicted on the covers of his books. The answers, including gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, swimming, came thick and fast.

Kids loved Lester’s story of her dog, Fatty, who got lost one night, laughing along to her imitation of the dog’s bark.

Students of Akshar, along with Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy and Mentaid, an association for the development of the mentally challenged, celebrate World Disability Day on December 3 on the school premises. The performances included popular Kishore Kumar numbers sung by the kids. Picture by Anindya Shankar Ray

Said Class V student of Apeejay, Park Street, Akshay Mohta: “Her narration was so realistic. When she was telling us of the way she went searching for Fatty in the countryside on her pony, I was on tenterhooks, hoping she would find it soon.”

Lester, whose book The Snow Pony is a bestseller in Australia, also gave drawing tips to the kids.

Sketching a lion, horse, cow and a koala in a few broad strokes, she explained: “No sketch is perfect at the first go. When I was young, I would make several rough sketches till I arrived at one I liked.”

“I loved Alison’s sketches,” chirped Akshay. “I want to be an artist and will follow her tips,” he added.

Said Gayatri Jana, mother of Shromona, a Class V student: “My daughter liked Lester’s sketches so much that she wants to buy The Snow Pony.”