Preparations are well underway for Bookbug Week 2016 (16-22 May 2016) with themed events taking place in every local authority in Scotland and some special appearances from some of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors and illustrators. Childminders, schools and nurseries across the country can tune in to watch a fun-filled Authors Live event with Ed Vere, streamed live at 11am Thursday 19 May and there will be some fantastic prizes up for grabs in on-line competitions throughout the week.
Commenting on Bookbug Week, Maggie Simpson, Chief Executive with the Scottish Childminding Association said: “With hundreds of free and fun filled events taking place across Scotland this is a great event for childminders. The theme has been created to inspire children and adults to explore songs and rhymes from around the globe and there is a whole host of fun story, song and rhyme activities for children taking place in local libraries and community venues. We are actively encouraging as many childminders as possible to get involved.
Bookbug Week, an annual celebration of Scotland’s national book gifting programme, will take place between 16 and 22 May, with hundreds of free events for children and babies held across the country. Now in its sixth year, Bookbug Week 2016 will see free Around the World themed events taking place in every local authority in Scotland, with special appearances from some of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors and illustrators.
The flagship event to mark the launch of Bookbug Week will take place at the Battle of Bannockburn centre in Stirling on Monday 16 May. Stirling and Clackmannanshire libraries have come together to create a free event packed with activities including a visit from author Simon Puttock and illustrator Eilidh Muldoon, yoga for toddlers, outdoor games and international themed Bookbug Sessions.
Catriona Wallace, Head of Early Years at Scottish Book Trust, said:
“Bookbug Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the many benefits that come from sharing books, songs and rhymes with your child. Bookbug Week invites every family with young children to take part in the hundreds of free and fun-filled events that are being offered across Scotland to celebrate the joy that comes from sharing books together.”
Funded by the Scottish Government, Bookbug is Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme. The Bookbug programme encourages everyone to sing and share stories with their children from birth.
The Bookbug programme provides every child in Scotland with four free bags of books, gifting 720,000 books every year. Over 240,000 children in Scotland benefited last year, with even more set to receive free books in 2016. Bookbug also runs regular free story, song and rhyme events in libraries, shopping centres and other community venues which attracted audiences of over half a million parents and children in 2014-15.
Families can find details of all Bookbug week events by visiting http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/bookbugweek or asking at their local library.