The first half of the year has been very kind to us and has been rich in various ART-istic events. On Friday, June 23, 2023, there was a special joint reading for children! We couldn't have dreamed of a better date for shared integration – the end of the school year, the joyful beginning of the holidays, and Father's Day. Art Hotel has been collaborating with the Czas Dzieci Foundation for years and as part of this year's edition of the “Intergenerational Literature Festival Dads and Grandpas,” there was no lack of space for another meeting from the “Men's Reading” cycle. This is a unique project inviting men who are authorities in their professional field, enjoying success, respect, and sympathy.
This time, the invitation went to the head chef of Art Hotel in Wrocław, Grzegorz Pomietło. For 26 years, Mr. Grzegorz has had a decisive influence on the flavors you'll find in the seasonal menu and the children's menu at Art Restaurant and Cafe. The head chef accepted this great honor with joy and took charge of promoting literature among the youngest on Friday.
The reading took place in the hotel’s Apartment 324, in an intimate atmosphere. It was not an obvious place, though it couldn't have been otherwise – the rich library in the apartment creates a unique and artistic character to this place. The Chef read here the most delicious fragments of prose – literally and metaphorically! As it turns out, there are quite a few delicacies in children's literature! It was an hour full of culinary journeys, flavors, and adventures of the main characters of books like: “The Best Soup in the World” written by Susanne Isern and Mar’a Ferrero and “Rymo-Flavors, that is what to eat where in the world” by Szymon Barabach and Katarzyna Fryz. The overarching theme was what we love most in Art Restaurant – delicious food.
From this friendly cooperation with the foundation and joint reading emerged a unique initiative, under the appetizing title “Literary Menu.” One could boldly risk the formulation that this is an original project on a global scale! The menu consists of proposals of three valuable children's books presented in the form of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. They are dedicated to children in various age groups (preschool, early school, and school age). Thanks to joint efforts, a kind of recommendation for valuable literature was created, which will be ideal for the ritual of shared family or individual reading. We guarantee that the menu does not contain ingredients that cause allergies or intolerances, such as boredom, incomprehensible language, or sad endings.
“We are very committed to spreading the idea of reading to children, deepening the habits of spending free time with a good book. Such habits stay with us forever, especially when we have a ready recipe/menu for valuable children's literature” – says Hotel Director, Agnieszka Radzikowska.
We invite you to visit our website www.arthotel/artkids, where you can download such a literary menu for your children. We wish you, from our side as well as from the Czas Dzieci Foundation, pleasant shared moments with good literature!
photo: Anna Szymańska