Stage Fright
by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Somesh Kumar
“Stage Fright” by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Somesh Kumar. Published by Pratham. A book about little Champa and her problem of not being able to perform on stage.
Champa loved singing the most. She could sing anywhere at any time. Be it rain or shine, she could be seen singing. Basant was her best friend. He would get ideas which could either be terrific or terrible! One day he got an idea when he heard Champa singing. He proposed that she should sing on their annual day.
Champa felt that this was a terrible idea much to Basant’s surprise. How could it be terrible when she was so passionate about singing? Why didn’t she want to sing? Champa confessed that she had stage fright. The only time that she had been on stage was a frightful experience and she had nearly fainted. She couldn’t sing in front of anyone. Not even her parents. What if others made fun of her?
Basant convinced her to sing as she could do that in front of him. She agreed with mixed emotions. While the excitement was definitely there, equally present was the fear. There were butterflies in her stomach every time she thought of the stage. She got plenty of advice from all to do well on stage.
What happened during the annual day? Did the stage overwhelm Champa? Was she able to sing? Did the fear come back? Was she able to face the audience? Did the advice that she got from everyone prove to be useful? Did Basant’s idea prove to be terrible after all? Read the book to find out.
My 7.5 year old enjoyed reading the book. We spoke about how he had cried to go on stage during his first year of kindergarten on annual day. He had then flipped and enjoyed being in the limelight in the subsequent years. Some of his friends who were quite smart and did so well in the rehearsals developed stage fright on the d-day. This story resonated so well for him when he remembered them. This is definitely a must read for all children. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this lovely book!
Recommended Age
The book is level 3 and apt for children aged 6/7+.
Reasons to Read
Helps to understand this fear that has nagged most of them at some point or the other.
The book also tells how one can help and support their friends who fear the stage.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Pratham Books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
P.S. - The book can be read online on story weaver here.