Kids take literary ride
The Hapischool Reading Club reads The Hundred Decker Bus on board a bus.
Children experience the bus cleaning process at the depot.
Mr Chum says his son listened more intently to the story because he was on a bus.
Leisure & Cultural Services Department Senior Librarian (Management & Promotion) Yvonne Chow says the books are carefully selected to cultivate a reading habit from a young age.
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department is hosting the “Fun Reading at Hong Kong Public Transportation” activity with the Hapischool Reading Club, which takes parents and their children on a reading journey on iconic forms of Hong Kong transport including the tram, bus, MTR and even the Dukling junk boat.
Through the activity, stories come to life outside of the library.
Literary journey
The department carefully selects books that would appeal to readers aged four to eight to cultivate a reading habit from a young age.
One of those books is The Hundred Decker Bus by Mike Smith, which tells the tale of a bus which travels anywhere and everywhere, growing taller and taller with each adventure.
At the “Fun Reading．KMB Depot．Kowloon Bay” activity, the children wore a bus driver’s uniform and were given a tour of the depot to learn about new and old bus models.
They also watched a bus being cleaned at the end of its route and discovered all about bus maintenance.
After the visit, the Hapischool Reading Club boarded a bus to read The Hundred Decker Bus.
One of the participants, Mr Chum, said his five-year-old son listened more intently because he heard the story on an actual bus.
“They understand the story better when they hear it at a bus depot and they are more eager to ask questions,” he said.
Beyond libraries
Leisure & Cultural Services Department Senior Librarian (Management & Promotion) Yvonne Chow said the activity takes participants beyond libraries to learn more about the city through carefully selected transport-themed books.
“They can read by themselves or their parents can read with them and enjoy the beautiful pictures and simple writing.
“Fostering reading habits at an early age enables them to seek knowledge by themselves. Also, when they face pressure later at work or at school, they can also have a chance to read quietly and think more,” explained Ms Chow.
The last activity of the series “Fun Reading．Dukling．Victoria Harbour” will be held on July 27. Families can register from June 17 to July 4.