A group of Tel Aviv kids enjoyed story time with Mayor Ron Huldai on June 4, 2012 at Beit Ariela Library, as e-vrit launched their iPhone version of Meir Shalev and Yossi Abulafya’s contemporary classic “Aba Ose Bushot.”
The Mayor read the interactive version aloud with help from the happy young crowd in the audience. There was indeed something to celebrate, as the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo will be placing tablets with an app installed for e-vrit’s interactive children’s stories in the local libraries, for the public’s use, free of charge.
Author Meir Shalev was on hand and said that like many of his other books, this story of a boy embarrassed by a father who is a bit different (he sings in the street and hugs his son in broad daylight), is also based on his personal experiences. Yossi Abolafia discussed his process in creating the illustrations, an approach he has developed over his many years as an illustrator and animator. Abolafia is one of the foremost and veteran Israeli animators, in addition to being one of the first to create animation for Israeli television, he has worked with NFB Canada and American television, and has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the animation department at Bezalel, Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem since 1997. Enjoy the short animations on Abolafia’s website.
The two long-time collaborators had fun with the audience, as always. Shalev told the children that if they want to ask Yossi a question they should speak slowly, and with nikkud (diacritical marks indicating pronunciation in Hebrew) because he comes from Tiberias. When Shalev had trouble with his microphone and mumbled something about Tel Aviv electrical equipment, Yossi explained, “In Jerusalem, where we live, microphones are still run on steam.”
