Reading Club: Children's Book (7-9 years old) | | The Adventures of Rosa

In March, the SNFCC Reading Club is dedicated to the memory of Filippos Tsimpoglou, Director General of the National Library of Greece (NLG).

Ιn March, the Children’s Reading Club for our young booklovers resumes facilitated by Sofianna Theofanous. Actress and writer Sofianna Theofanous has written operas and picture books for children, and has been honored with the Greek National Award for a Theatrical Play for Children and Teenagers for her play Merry Christmas, My Dear Charlie.

This month’s Reading Club will be discussing Alexis Kyritsopoulos's The Adventures of Rosa. 

On Sunday, March 19, our young readers will meet to share impressions, feelings and thoughts, and to embark on an imaginary journey, sparked by the book of the month, into the fascinating worlds emerging from its pages.

The book

If you feel you are a poet, this book is for you.

What do you really know about poetry? Do you know that many poems have been adapted into songs, paintings, theatrical performances, children’s books?

One such book is “The Adventures of Rosa” by Alexis Kyritsopoulos, inspired by the poems of Yannis Ritsos, a very important poet of the early 20th century, which might seem like a very long time ago, but actually isn’t.

Amidst colors and seasons, young Rosa follows her butterfly and gets into a host of adventures, on her way from Winter to a Spring of her own.

Like Rosa, we too shall follow our butterfly and see where it takes us.

Inspired by the book, we shall see what poetry is, and create our own songs.

We are waiting for you — and your butterfly — on March 19, at the National Library of Greece. 

The author

Alexis Kyritsopoulos was born in Athens, but was acquainted with painting in Paris. His paintings are featured in galleries, books, vinyl record and CD sleeves, and posters. He has painted for musical shows and has created animated cartoons. Sometimes he writes and illustrates his own books. At others times, he paints for books written by others.

A few words about Yannis Ritsos

Yannis Ritsos was one of the greatest Greek poets of international repute. He published more than one hundred collections of poetry and literary compositions, twenty-two novels, one theatrical play, and several essays. He also authored numerous translations, vignettes on current affairs, and other texts. Several of his works have been translated into foreign languages. For more information, click on the poet’s name.

The facilitator

Sofianna Theofanous was born in Athens and graduated with honors from the Department of Communication, Media and Culture of Panteion University, and the Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun. She was a member of the Experimental Stage of the National Theater of Greece, to then serve as an actor for 12 years at the National Theater and later the Free Theater. She has written two operas for children, commissioned by the Greek National Opera and the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Patras, two children’s picture books, and step outlines for television. Among other things, when she is not acting in theater, she illustrates and organizes productions of the Athens Festival. In 2022, she was honored with the Greek National Award for a Theatrical Play for Children and Teenagers for her play Merry Christmas, My Dear Charlie.

Activities for children before the Reading Club meeting:

1. Write two verses that we can turn into a song about the seasons.

2. Make your own butterfly and bring it with you to Reading Club.

Sunday 19/03
17.00-18.15 

NLG KIDS LAB 

Up to 22 participants 

Free admission with online pre-registration

Pre-registration starts on 01/03, at 12.00

The book The Adventures of Rosa is available (in Greek) from Ikaros Books.

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