Julia Donaldson joins former Children's Laureates Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen to support a nationwide campaign to celebrate 20 years of Bookstart.

In 2012, Booktrust are celebrating 20 years of Bookstart - the world-renowned reading programme which gives free books to babies, toddlers and 3-year-olds. Today Booktrust are launching a nationwide campaign to celebrate everything that the programme has achieved, including the 30 million free books that we have been able to gift since babies first started receiving packs in 1992.

This year, Booktrust are asking Bookstart supporters to share 20 books with children - and Julia Donaldson was one of the first to sign the pledge.

Julia says:

My happiest memories are of my parents reading to me and of sharing stories with my own children. Through my grandchildren, I am rediscovering that pleasure.

 

Even the youngest child enjoys sitting on a knee, looking at pictures and hearing familiar and new words spoken by an adult. As their understanding grows, those shared stories stimulate their imagination, transport them to different worlds, help them understand themselves and others and to become avid readers.

Twenty well-known faces have made the pledge so far, including former Children's Laureates Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen and Jacqueline Wilson. Along with their pledge the celebrities have also

 revealed their favourite books to share with children, which range from Dickens' classic Great Expectations to classics-in-the-making like Andy Stanton's Mr Gum series. Find out more on the Booktrust website, where you can also sign the Bookstart pledge yourself!