Children learnt that science can be wild, wacky and marvellous fun, at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2019, during the Little Detective workshop.

The young participants were captivated as the instructor took them on a mystery tour of a murder scene and had them hunt for clues to solve the crime. Rushing about the room they hunted for keys, weapons or other evidence left behind by the criminal.

They then became Special Agents who had think up answers to exciting conundrums such as where to hide a secret code, or where the criminal might go to hide.

The large group of 7-12-year-olds were thrilled and engaged as they came up with ideas for special disguises, and secret names for each other, and the best method for secret messages using invisible ink involving white paper and lemon juice.

The assembled group got increasingly more excited as they ventured further into their detective characters. The noise rose considerably as they broke into two groups to solve the puzzle of the picture cards presented to them.

The task was to examine these seemingly ordinary everyday scenes and detect what was wrong with them. Scanning each detail in-depth, the kids discovered such hidden activities as a pick-pocket and signs of a break-in.

Meanwhile, at the dedicated station for the comic form of art offered young artists a platform to express their creativity as the comic enthusiasts cracked the code to self-publishing at SIBF 2019.

“When I started making comics, everybody said I was crazy. I was working in a school and teaching comics sometimes, but to pursue it as a career…” Merek Bennett, the cartoonist who created the famous multi volume set of The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, stops halfway into sharing his musings with his young audience, smiling nostalgically.