House of Wisdom Brings Kalila wa Dimna to SCRF 2025

Post by : Layla Badr

Photo: WAM

House of Wisdom (HoW) is taking part in the 16th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), which is happening from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah. This year, HoW is focusing on the famous fables of Kalila wa Dimna, which have been loved by readers for many years.

The stories of Kalila wa Dimna first came from ancient Sanskrit and were later translated into Middle Persian. In the 8th century, a scholar named Abdullah Ibn Al-Muqaffa translated these stories into Arabic, and they became an important part of Arabic literature. Now, HoW is bringing these classic tales to life in a fun and interactive way for children to enjoy. The goal is to make the stories easy to understand and exciting for young readers through storytelling and activities.

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The stories of Kalila wa Dimna teach important lessons about life. They are famous for having deep meanings that help readers learn about values like wisdom, empathy, and making the right choices. These fables are still very relevant today, showing the lasting power of storytelling to help people grow and think more deeply.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, the Executive Director of House of Wisdom, said, “Kalila wa Dimna is a great example of storytelling that uses animals to teach important lessons. These stories are still important because they make people think and learn valuable things about life.”

She also added, “Through our participation in the SCRF, we are making these stories modern and fun for kids to explore, reflect on, and learn from.”

The House of Wisdom booth has many exciting features. One part of the booth shows rare digital copies of two Kalila wa Dimna manuscripts from the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The first manuscript, called The Hare and the Elephant, is from 1222 CE and includes beautiful illustrations and 89 miniatures. This version has many animal stories mixed with proverbs and wisdom. The second manuscript is from the 14th century and was created in the Mamluk era in Egypt or Syria. It includes six stories with illustrations that reflect the rich art style of Islamic manuscripts.

Another part of the booth, called "Meet the Characters," invites children to explore the famous characters from the stories. They will meet characters like the clever hare, the brave lion, the smart fox, the strong elephant, and the proud tortoise. This part helps children think about their own qualities and how they might be like the characters in the stories. It’s a fun and thoughtful activity that helps kids reflect on the values each character represents.

Next, there is a special interactive experience powered by AI, where children can find out which Kalila wa Dimna character best matches their personality. They answer simple questions about themselves, and the AI helps match them with their spirit animal from the stories. Afterward, the child will see a short story about their character and can even print it or have it emailed as a keepsake. This activity encourages kids to create their own stories and think more about the lessons of the fables.

HoW's booth also features an interactive Shadow Theatre. This traditional form of storytelling brings the Kalila wa Dimna tales to life with exciting performances that show the moral lessons in the stories. After the performances, there is a special gift shop where visitors can buy books, plush toys, educational games, and other items inspired by the characters and lessons of Kalila wa Dimna.

To celebrate the opening of the festival, House of Wisdom is offering a 10% discount on all its Regular, Premium, and Digital memberships during the event. These memberships give access to millions of resources, including books, journals, research papers, and multimedia. They also provide full access to the library's modern facilities and educational programs throughout the year.

The House of Wisdom's activities at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival are a fun way for children to learn important lessons while enjoying the timeless wisdom of Kalila wa Dimna.

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