Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Libraries are organising free events across the area to celebrate National Bookstart Week, June 8 – 14.
This year’s theme, Jungle Adventures, is based around Giles Andreae’s beloved picture book Rumble in the Jungle, which will be given away to hundreds of families at the events.
On Monday June 8, the Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Ian Gilchrist, will be leading celebrations at Radstock Library between 10am and 12 noon, with the help of the big blue Bookstart Bear.
Parents and carers are being encouraged to bring along their under-fives are invited to come and meet the Bear and enjoy jungle-themed stories, rhymes and craft activities.
There will also be an opportunity to hear jungle adventure stories and rhymes at the following events, which are all free and open to all families with children under five (rhymetimes are aimed at 0-3 years and storytimes at 2-5 yrs):
Monday June 8
Radstock Library, 10am – 12 noon (stories, rhymes & crafts with the Bookstart Bear)
Moorland Rd Library, Bath –10.30 – 11am (storytime)
Midsomer Norton Library – 11 – 11.30am (storytime)
Tuesday June 9
Keynsham Library – 10 – 10.30am & 11 – 11.30am (rhymetimes)
Weston Library, Bath – 10.30am – 11.15am (stories, rhymes & crafts with the Bookstart Bear)
Bath Central Library – 11 – 11.30am (storytime)
Thursday June 11
Keynsham Library – 10am – 10.30am (storytime)
Paulton Library – 1.30 – 2.30pm (storytime)
Saltford Library –2.30 – 3pm (storytime)
Friday June 12
Weston Library, Bath – 10.30 – 11am (rhymetime)
National Bookstart Week is an annual celebration of UK charity Book Trust’s flagship reading programme, Bookstart. It aims to reinforce to families the importance of getting in to the habit of reading every day – even if it’s just for ten minutes.
Councillor Martin Veal, (Conservative, Bathavon North), Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Our libraries are providing a valuable resource to families with more and more under 5s joining their library every year. It’s never too early to start sharing books with your baby and give them a head start in life. National Bookstart Week is a wonderful opportunity to bring together young children and families across Bath and North East Somerset in a celebration of reading.”
If families are unable to make it along to their local event they can join in the fun at home, with plenty of jungle-themed arts and crafts, games and baking recipes all on the Bookstart website http://www.bookstart.org.uk/jungle.
For more information about Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Library Service, visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/libraries.
For your information:
Book Trust is Britain’s largest reading charity. It has a vision of a society where nobody misses out on the life-changing benefits that reading can bring. Book Trust is responsible for a number of successful national reading promotions, sponsored book prizes and creative reading projects aimed at encouraging readers to discover and enjoy books. http://www.booktrust.org.uk
Book Trust’s flagship reading programme Bookstart supports parents and carers to enjoy books with their child from as early as possible with the gift of free books to children in the first year of their life and again when they are 3-4 years old. http://www.bookstart.org.uk
Research has shown that if a parent reads to their infant every day they will be almost 12 months ahead of those who are read to less often, in terms of their reading and language skills. (Kalb, G. & van Ours, J. C. (2013) Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in Life? Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research).
Throughout the year Book Trust gives free books to 2.5 million parents and carers to read with their children. Inclusive packs are also available for children in care, with hearing or sight impairment, have fine motor delay or whose first language isn’t English.
Regular Bookstart-supported Storytime and Rhymetime sessions are held throughout the year in local libraries, nurseries and children’s centres.
