The Hollard’s InstaStory Books initiative aims to change the reading crisis in South Africa.
Recently it was established that four out of five 10-year-olds can’t read properly in this country.
This, however, the initiative wants you to help change that and secure better futures for children.
The major problem is a lack of books for children aged between three and five years, the most vital time for instilling a love of reading.
The insurance company said in a statement that there is a quick, easy solution that costs virtually nothing, which just about anyone can put into practice.
The InstaStory Books initiative puts the power to create children’s books in your hands – allowing you to easily conceptualise, write, illustrate and layout a book.
At a recent InstaStory Books workshop, writer and editor of children’s books Jenny Hatton provided aspirant authors with some great tips.
Tips for writing children’s books:
- Children’s books should usually be fewer than 500 words in length, and an InstaStory Book shouldn’t have more than 50 words
- Before you write, you must read… children’s books
- Stories usually have a beginning, middle, and end – but a children’s book can simply describe a scene or incident
- A character can make a story work
- Suspenseful stories begin with a problem or obstacle that escalates before it is surmounted, creating narrative tension
- The text and pictures need to elicit a response from the children
- Text and illustrations work together to make the story
- Children’s books can be educational – but must still be fun
- Children’s books open up a world of language, so introduce a few new, more difficult words (but not too many)
- It is very important to read aloud to young children
- Be authentic
- Don’t patronise or preach.
Hollard InstaStory Books are super-easy to create, using Instagram’s Stories feature and, of course, your imagination! The InstaStory Books page on the Hollard website has all the tutorial content you need to get going within a few minutes.
There are scores of InstaStory Books already on the page, too, for you to check out for inspiration or to simply enjoy.
Once your InstaStory Book is completed, all you need to do is send it to Hollard’s Instagram account. It will then be uploaded to the InstaStory Books page, where anyone can download it or print it out – and enthral the country’s small children while giving them a vital foundation for better futures.
Details: www.hollard.co.za/better-futures/InstaStoryBooks
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https://northeasterntribune.co.za/175280/time-to-toughen-up-for-the-hollard-jozi-urban-mountain-bike-adventure/
