‘Lesespass’ In XXL: Armin Pongs Inspires 550 Students

The leading children's book author Armin Pongs, known especially for his "Krokofil" books, often performs several readings a month. But this was the first time he had ever appeared before such a large audience: No fewer than 550 children from nine Gütersloh elementary schools accepted the invitation from " Lesespass " (Joy of Reading) to come to the town hall, decorated in "Krokofil green" for the occasion, to experience a special kind of reading yesterday. Together with the British singer Sam Brown and the pianist Dave Anderson, Pongs led the third- and fourth-graders through a colorful "Krokofil" show.

"The kids were wide awake the whole time and participated wonderfully, clapping, guessing and singing along," says Pongs. "It's always nice to give reading such a boost and to get children excited about stories."

The young guests also clearly enjoyed the event. "That was lots of fun!" And "The Krokofil is so cute!" were frequent comments made by the children. To prolong the joy of reading, each child who attended the event was given a "Krokofil" book by the " Lesespass " initiative.

The event also served as the kick-off to the Lesespass "Unusual Readings" series, with more to follow in the year ahead. "With what may seem at first glance to be unusual event formats like today’s, we are reaching children who tend to be a bit reluctant to get involved in reading," says Rolf Peter of the Goethe-Institut.

The “XXL” reading was the second extraordinary " Lesespass " project within a short time. Last week, the initiative held a music workshop at the Anne Frank and Janusz Korczak High School, at which students wrote a hip-hop musical based on the fairytale "Rumpelstiltskin.”

Bertelsmann launched the " Lesespass " initiative in Gütersloh in September 2010 in partnership with the Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation) and Goethe-Institut.

The focus of the program, which is initially scheduled to run for two years, is on promoting children’s literacy, especially among children aged 3 to 14 from families for whom reading isn’t a priority.