No, I'll read him a story", intoned another.

No, miss, its my turn", contested a third amongst a group of over twenty children, eager to read to an unusual audience. It is a dog.

Huddled over Krunk, a six-year-old male Labrador, in the Family Corner of British Library, they all open their story books and read aloud to him, one by one, as the rest pet and cuddle him, take turns to feed him biscuits, regale when he wags his tail playfully and rolls over.

This is part of an Animal Assisted Reading Program by Dr Minal Kavishkar, a clinical psychologist, who also runs an animal therapy outfit called Animal Angels.

The event, called Tails of Joy, was her brainwave to help children overcome their reading disabilities. "Though reading disabilities in children may be small and negligible at a tender age, later on, they might become magnified. There is a lack of awareness about learning disabilities and we hope to educate schools, parents and every body involved, about the benefits of such an initiative,” says Kavishkar.

This program is not just meant for dyslexic kids. “Animal assisted reading works wonders for even those children who are shy to read, or, manifest a lack of confidence", she explains.

Animals are ideal reading companion because they do not rebuke, jeer or judge when children stammer or mispronounce words while reading aloud. So children tend to overcome their reservations about faltering and feel more comfortable as they recite to an accepting, patient and seemingly supportive audience like animals, be it rabbits, puppies, or cats. The animals are carefully handpicked and specially trained for the purpose. Only those of a particular temperament and the right personality are chosen to be around children.

The concept is a little unusual but it has proven to work, not just with children but with cancer patients too. Kavishkar, who conducted the same program last year at The Jungle Book Library for children in Aundh, thinks that Animal Assisted Education should be taken to a more expanded level, including nurseries and schools. "The method of teaching or correcting kids with reading inhibitions is not proper. Scolding them or taunting them does not help. They need therapeutic treatment. Animal assisted reading creates a favorable learning experience and enhances the self-esteem of children while reducing stress and anxiety related to reading and learning," says Kavishkar.