Dosti Kitabon Sey, a new venture by Oxford University Press (OUP), will inundate the summer with puppet shows, story-building and music as a means to endear children to books. The aim is to use fun-filled and imaginative methods to draw children into the exciting world of reading. The weekly programme was launched by OUP on June 1 at the atrium in Park Towers. A red-carpet event kicked off the proceedings as celebrities from the fashion and television world arrived with their children. The event started promptly at 5:30 pm with a short speech delivered by Ameena Sayyid, Managing Director, OUP, followed by Dr Manuel Negwer, the director of the Goethe Institut. Dr Negwer spoke of the importance of books and reading, while Ameena Sayyid introduced the audience to the host of the show Khaled Anam, a noted television personality and a leading light at the Gripps theatre, referring to him as a “Pied Piper to entice children into the magical world of books.” Khaled Anam will work through the summer with OUP to promote reading among children. The event proved to be a crowded affair as all the seats were taken and people stood around while the press and cameras circled the area. A number of children of celebrities took to the stage to recite poems and sing songs. The floor then opened up to other children who also performed and received OUP goodie-bags in return. Weekly sessions of Dosti Kitabon Sey will be held at the OUP bookshop at Park Towers and on Khalid bin Waleed road in Karachi.