There is a primary school near my home. And you learn which hours of the day to avoid the road outside as battalions of parents drop off or pick up their little darlings. Except this week was a good one to coincide with the morning mini rush.
Sightings were recorded of Dorothy, Willy Wonka, and Matilda among many others, though there was a disappointing dearth of Gruffalos. The effort put in by so many mums and dads to have their offspring properly kitted out for World Book Day, was brilliant.
READ MORE: Your pictures from World Book Day 2019
The day, set up to remind wee readers of the joys of books, does create a bit of controversy given that many of the costumed ones seem to have used movies and TV series as their inspiration rather than junior league literature.
But it has to be seen as part of a raft of initiatives to welcome children into a world which gives their imaginations full rein. The Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug scheme gives bags of books to wee ones from birth to school as well as running storytelling sessions in schools and libraries.
The library at Rosneath, located in the school building, runs two bookbug sessions every week in term time.
And Helensburgh Library’s Fun First sessions on a Monday combines songs and storytelling. That is the crucial switch that has to be pulled for every child. Once they learn that reading is not to be filed under chore, but instead is a gateway to the wonderful world of stories, they have a passport to a lifetime of affordable pleasure.
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