From folklore to the frontlines of identity, panellists at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival explore how stories shape perspectives across cultures
Sharjah, May 3, 2025
At the 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), a panel of award-winning authors and educators explored a timeless yet increasingly pertinent question: What makes a story resonate with today’s children?
The discussion, “Crafting Stories That Resonate with Today’s Children”, brought together Australian author Andrea Rowe, British-Pakistani writer and educator Maryam Hassan, and Arabic literary scholar and children’s writer Dr Bayan ‘Amr, and was moderated by Dr Sandy Zanella, a children’s author and mindfulness coach.
Talking about the formative years as an author, Andrea Rowe, whose celebrated picture book Jetty Jumping won Australia’s CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood in 2022, shared that her writing was born out of observing children navigate emotional terrain. “I had always loved picture books,” she said, “but it wasn’t until I became a parent that I realised stories were unfolding right in front of me — in scraped knees, shy glances, and brave little moments.” For Rowe, nature and tricky feelings often converge. “Children are physical and emotional beings. They experience the world in peaks and dips, much like the natural environments they play in. I try to reflect that in my work.”
Maryam Hassan, a teacher and storyteller of Pakistani heritage currently based in Tokyo, writes from her lived experience — both as a global citizen and an educator of multicultural classrooms. “I am a Montessori teacher with experience in the UK and the US, where I have seen immigrant children struggle not just with language, but with being understood in terms of their identity,” she shared. “So I wrote to give them stories they could see themselves in.”
Her books — many of which feature South Asian protagonists and cultural references like parathas (flatbreads) or school-lunch mishaps — celebrate differences while building bridges. “Even if you’re not an immigrant, you can learn through these stories. And for those who are, they’re a lifeline”, Hassan opined.
Talking about the importance of stories, Dr Bayan ‘Amr, a literary critic and academic at Qatar University, emphasised the foundational role of folklore in Arab children’s literature. “Folktales teach children about human nature — about overcoming, belonging, and imagination. We must not discard heritage. Instead, we must renew it with creativity,” she said.
She likened great storytelling to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, a universal tale of transformation and self-acceptance, arguing that the ‘weapon of joy’ is one of the most powerful tools a writer has. “Good stories don’t impose. They open a parallel world where the child feels safe, seen, and inspired.”
On whether children’s books need morals, the panel agreed that while literature has always played a pedagogical role, it need not always teach lessons. “Sometimes, a book should simply offer joy,” said Rowe. “Or emotional validation. Or a moment of calm in a noisy world.”
“Pictures books, in particular, often carry nuance beyond what the text can convey,” said Hassan. “They can offer comfort, humour or even quiet rebellion.”
In response to a question from an audience about whether Arabic folktales can become as globally beloved as Andersen’s, Hassan pointed to a systemic lack of diversity in global publishing. “The stories exist. The voices exist. What’s missing is equal opportunity. We need publishers to give these tales — and the cultures they come from — the same visibility and support.”
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