Reading Club: Children’s Book | Pav the story of the golden seed

The SNFCC’s Book Club for Children renews its appointment with young book lovers for June, facilitated by theater pedagogue Artemis Manou, and also available online!  

The book of the month is Pav the story of the golden seed by Fotis Dousos. 

On Thursday, June 30, young readers will meet at the Mediterranean Garden to share impressions, feelings and thoughts, as well as to embark on an imaginary journey, sparked by the book of the month, into the fascinating worlds emerging from its pages. 

In addition, this month’s meeting will also take place online via Zoom, on Saturday, June 25. 

The book
This month we will be reading the story of Pav. Pav is a boho kind of a cicada, with a brave soul, who had the misfortune of being born with an out-of-tune voice, amidst a big family of exceptionally good singers. So, he was faced with the dilemma to either give up the art practiced by all cicadas in the world so far, or decide to improve. And he chose the latter. This decision kicked off his adventure and journey to Africa in search of the golden grain that the celebrated music teacher Lycaon asked as payment to teach him.

But how can a cicada, with such weak wings, make such a long and dangerous journey? Well, this particular cicada can. Because, as he himself points out:

“Even in the most difficult moments of this short life, I never lost my confidence that things would turn out well. When I was locked up in some dark dungeon, I’d look towards the stars. When I fell into the mud, I'd look to the sky. When I felt hot, I would lie down. When I was cold, I would run. When I was hungry, I would sing. When I was in pain, I would dance. After all, what is hopefulness if not an enormous, genuine love for the here and now?”
 

The author:
Fotis Dousos was born in Serres in 1980. He studied Theatrology at the School of Fine Arts in Thessaloniki. He is active in children's theater, and has performed with his company in many parts of the world, from Melbourne to Los Angeles.
 

The facilitator:
Artemis Manou holds a BA in Greek Language and Literature (Linguistics major) from the University of Athens and an MA in Teaching Greek as a Foreign/Second Language. In addition, she has graduated from the Drama School of Vassilis Diamantopoulos. After working for a few years in private education and as an actress, since 2009 she has been combining her love of theater and children, working as a motivational speaker and a theater director. She has co-operated with Onassis Stegi at the Youth Theater Festival, where she wrote theatrical plays and directed performances for teenagers, and at the experiential learning program “Contemporary Art: First you live... then you understand” that Onassis Stegi carried out in primary schools, where she organized workshops for creative expression on contemporary art stimuli together with Tzeni Argyriou, Andreas Kasapis and Myrto Tikof. Since 2017, she has been working at the National Theatre, facilitating workshops for children, teenagers and educators. She has authored a total of 15 plays for teens. A special place in her heart belongs to the National Theatre's program “Theater in Greek," with the participation of Greek and refugee teenagers. The theatrical play The Journey, which she co-authored with Vangelis Kyriakou, was included in the repertoire of the National Theatre Young People's Stage in 2018. She was born and lives in Athens. But she dreams of living in many other places too – together with her family. 
 

Activities for children before the Book Club meeting:
- Write lyrics for the last piece of music composed by Pav as he was leaving Lycaon’s house at the end of the book! What would this silent zee major say if it had words? 

- Draw what fascinated you the most from the story that you read.

- Send a letter to Pav, in which you confide to him a big dream of yours and why you want it so much.
 

Thursday 30/06 | 18.00-19.15
MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN

Up to 22 participants | For children aged 7 to 10
Free participation by online pre-registration

Saturday 25/06 |18.00-19.15
ΖΟΟΜ

Up to 25 participants | For children aged 7 to 10
Free participation by online pre-registration

Pre-registrations starts on Monday 30/05, at 12.00

Children should always be accompanied by parents or adult chaperones, who should stay outside the activity area for as long as the activity lasts.

Moderator: Artemis Manou

Anyone reserving a seat at the Book Club is required to have read the book of the month..

Fotis Dousos’s book Παβ, ο φάλτσος τζίτζικας και η περιπέτεια με τα τυφλά μυρμήγκια is available from Mikri Selini Publishing.
 

Due to public health measures, there may be changes regarding either the staging of the event, or the maximum number of participants.

As part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center's collaboration with the National Library of Greece, the children's book for December's Reading Club has been chosen by NLG staff members