Scottish Book Trust is pleased to announce the books chosen for the 2018/19 Bookbug Bags that are distributed free to every baby, toddler and 3-year-old in Scotland.
Every year, Bookbug, the Scottish Government funded initiative, gifts over 800,000 books to families across Scotland. Bookbug bags help children to develop a love of books and promote the health and developmental benefits of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. The new bags will include books by some of the UK’s favourite authors and illustrators including Lucy Cousins, Nick Sharratt and Polly Dunbar.
Among other things this year’s bags also include Song & Rhyme Library postcards highlighting Bookbug’s new Song & Rhyme Library, with beautiful artwork from Nick Sharratt, Ross Collins and Catherine Rayner.
Bookbug also gifts Gaelic language editions of the selected titles and tactile books to support children with additional needs. These can be requested from your local Bookbug Co-ordinator or Bòrd na Gàidhlig Early Years Worker. Three-year-old children in Gaelic Medium Education will receive their Gaelic Bookbug Explorer Bag from their nursery.
The Bookbug programme is managed by Scottish Book Trust and run in partnership with libraries, local authorities, health professionals and nurseries.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:
“We are excited to once again be gifting books to every child across Scotland through Bookbug bags. The books selected have been chosen carefully by our Early Year experts, and we are sure families across the country will delight in sharing these stories. Bookbug bags are an excellent way to start a story time routine, and accompanied with our new song and rhyme library, will help to develop children’s language skills.”
Maree Todd, Minister for Childcare and Early Years, said:
“Sharing books and stories is a fun and easy way for parents to help their children develop their reading and listening skills. And snuggling up together to read a book helps create strong bonds and makes children feel loved and secure. When my own children were little reading together was a genuine pleasure and as they have grown we have continued to share and discuss books together to carry on that love of reading.
“It is extremely important to introduce children to books as early as possible – that is why we provide over £1.6 million each year to Scottish Book Trust, to deliver the Bookbug initiative to every child in Scotland.”
The books to be distributed free in Bookbug bags to every baby, toddler and three-year-old in Scotland in the coming year are as follows:
Bookbug Baby Bag
- Peekaboo! in the Jungle by Cocoretto (Child’s Play)
- Baby’s Very First Black and White Book: Faces by Stella Baggott (Usborne)
- If You’re Happy and You Know It… by Annie Kubler (Child’s Play)
Bookbug Toddler Bag
- How to Bath Your Little Dinosaur by Jane Clarke & Georgie Birkett (Penguin Random House)
- Maisy’s Bus by Lucy Cousins (Walker Books)
- Flip and Find Farmers by Samantha Meredith (Campbell / Macmillan)
Bookbug Explorer Bag
- You Choose by Pippa Goodhart & Nick Sharratt (Penguin Random House)
- Penguin by Polly Dunbar (Walker Books)
- Is That an Elephant in My Fridge? by Caroline Crowe & Claudia Ranucci (Scholastic)
