The world has realised that instead of competing with each other, a book and a computer need to go hand in hand, P C S Ranjan, the Managing Director of Book Mart Bahrain, tells Umer NangianaWhen it comes to learning, books alone do not suffice in this age of technology and innovation. However, they remain an integral part of the process. Therefore, a combination of the two is essential. It is particularly relevant in children’s education with more and more studies coming up to suggest children should be prepared for learning from a very early age.Some even suggest the best time for giving a child the first dose of learning is between early months as a toddler and 4 years. Here, technology comes handy. The idea has already been put into motion and there are hundreds of innovative technology-assisted books that can teach a toddler everything from languages to mathematics besides basic etiquettes and good behaviour.With increasing awareness of the importance of child’s early education, such ideas are selling big time. Bahrain-based bookshop, The Book Mart ME, a company owned by Majestic Promotions, specialises in innovative books and saw tremendous success at the recently-concluded 25th Doha International Book Fair.“We have sold some 2,950 individual books besides some 140 early learning packages in the 10 days. We have skill development programmes, general knowledge, phoenix learning programme, Arabic and English learning programmes besides encyclopedia,” P C S Ranjan, the Managing Director (MD) of Book Mart Bahrain, tells Community.Ranjan is a strong believer in the efficacy of a combination of technology with the conventional educational techniques. He says the world has realised that instead of competing with each other, a book and a computer need to go hand in hand.“I have been in this trade for 17 years. We had this problem in 2000 when people thought computers would take over everything, including books. But now people are getting back to books and they know how to differentiate between computers and books,” says the MD.“I personally feel that once people have come to know computers; they know that books and computers can go hand in hand where one complements the other. One cannot completely replace the other,” he adds.Ranjan says when it comes to educational books; a lot of technology is coming up these days. “We do have products where a pen can read the book. It can explain the material to the children and this particular pen is designed with the purpose to encourage children and attract them towards reading and studies,” he adds.At their shop, they sell it under the name of ‘Jolly Learning-Jolly Phonics Extra.’ It is a complete kit of resources to aid struggling readers to achieve complete literacy. Jolly Phonics Extra makes reading more accessible for those children who struggle with learning to read, giving them a variety of different ways to access the texts and improve their skills.It contains a TalkingPEN, Letter Sounds Book, Jolly Phonics Extra Flash Cards, Jolly Phonics Extra Pupil Books 1, 2, & 3, Jolly Phonics Extra Teacher’s Book, Jolly Phonics Extra Readers, Red Level (18 different titles), Jolly Phonics Extra Readers, Yellow Level (18 different titles), Jolly Phonics Extra Readers, Green Level (18 different titles).“Such ideas have been there for a while and they are improving day by day and I believe these technologies have been there for about five years but now they have come up with more modifications. People are now freely buying such books,” says Ranjan.“Early education is very essential and the child should be provided a strong foundation at home itself. Mostly parents think that school can take care of everything but it does not happen like this. The experts believe that for a child from eight months to two years, brain development is enormous so they recommend that parents should lay a foundation during this time. And they have based their analysis in research studies conducted in different countries,” says Senthil Kumar, the Sales Manager at the Book Mart.“We recommend that from before first year to the fourth, a child should completely perform all learning skills at home before they step into nursery. Our products take care of all these areas and we have given a lot of consultation to the parents. We do not just sell books. We sell the entire concept,” says Kumar.They explain the idea and if the parents are convinced, they come back and purchase it. Kumar claims in this way they make libraries. “We do not just sell individual books. We establish libraries for children from before the first year to the fourth. Our target audience is young parents who are blessed with a child or two. We approach them and give them the packages,” says the Sales Manager.“I believe we have the right concept which is why we have been successful for this long. We are also continuously coming up with new ideas and updating,” adds the manager.He believes that no matter how much technology distracts children, books are the ultimate source for them to become the best in the classroom. In the dozens of early learning and innovative programmes, the book shop provides one such work as ‘Look, Listen and Learn’ which is an activity book that provides the Junior Infants a multi-sensory approach to teaching and learning of letter sounds.For those looking to help their children establish a strong foundation in Mathematics, a multimedia program which is designed to establish a strong foundation in math, as one of the most useful skill for success in most professions, is available.It covers all the seven essentials of math: numbers, counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and measurement, provides a variety of learning opportunities through books, songs, activities and game and develops an appreciation for music while making math learning fun.The Book Mart also offers package deals on instalments, especially for Encyclopedia and World Book genre of expensive books.“We sold approximately 65 sets of these books and one package is for more than QR3,200. Yes, we sell them in installments only for the locals. We give maximum two one year instalments which is 12 percent minimum down payments and the rest can be paid in 12 months,” Ranjan tells Community.The payments are made through credit cards. People based here in Qatar can also place the order for such packages online and books are delivered to their doorsteps.All the books are available on the Book Mart website http://bookmartme.com/ with their pictures, the available quantity and all the related details. The delivery is made within three weeks.The book shop sources its products from UK and USA where they are printed and published. They have participated in Doha Book Fair two times before in 2004 and 2008.The bestsellers, Ranjan says, are children’s books and fiction. They are planning to come to Doha with a bigger set up and more books next time. The sales here were really good and they are focusing more on the children’s books.Founded in 2008 and located in Manama, Bahrain, the book store has become a leading book seller in the kingdom with a vast network and good collection of books for children, teachers and parents. It has an active presence in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.