BookTrust adds Scheffler book to Bookstart Baby pack encouraging families to start reading with their babies

BookTrust will be sharing a new interactive book by Axel Scheffler, chosen by early years experts, to encourage families to start reading with their babies. The new book will be shared with up to 580,000 babies across England and Wales as part of the charity’s flagship Bookstart Baby programme. 

Designed to encourage families to start reading with their children early, BookTrust gives every family a Bookstart Baby pack in their child’s first year of life. This includes an age-appropriate book, finger puppet and an information leaflet that explains the benefits of sharing stories and rhymes with babies. 

A new book is chosen every year by an expert panel that includes families, Bookstart co-ordinators, librarians and other early years professionals to ensure it meets their needs.

At a time when families are facing pressures due to the cost of living, this programme is particularly aimed at helping low-income families.

BookTrust conducted an online survey of 2,148 parents and carers of children aged 0-7 living in low-income households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between April and June 2022. Of the 1,083 parents/carers who recalled using a Bookstart Baby pack for their child, 72% said that Bookstart Baby packs are some of the first books they own for their child.
Families will soon be able to enjoy Who’s Hiding on the Farm? by illustrator and children’s book creator Axel Scheffler (Campbell Books). A bilingual English and Welsh version of the book will be offered to families in Wales. 

The board book offers a hide and seek story for babies, contributing to the development of their early sounds and speech patterns. With differently coloured and shaped felt flaps to lift and explore, it provides a tactile and interactive experience that can also support their sensory and fine motor skills development. 

Using books, stories and rhymes as a basis for playing, talking, singing and exploring in their early years provides a big boost to children developmentally, according to the charity. Reading also supports bonding between children and their family members, reportedly boosting parental positivity and improving children’s sleep. 

In addition to Bookstart Baby, the charity further promotes the development of early reading habits by offering a range of extra resources, books and support to children from low-income family backgrounds. These include Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler packs and BookTrust Storytime resources, which are delivered through local public libraries. 

This year, and in collaboration with families and partners, the charity said that the Bookstart Baby pack has been refreshed to be more "environmentally friendly" and to offer a greater visual relationship between other Bookstart packs, enabling families to see these as resources for their children. 

Families receive their packs thanks to funding from Arts Council England and the Welsh government. BookTrust works in partnership with every local authority across England and Wales which determine how to ensure the packs reach families in their local area, either through registrars, health visitors, librarians or other early years professionals. 

Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust, said: “We’re delighted that all babies will be able to enjoy Axel’s fabulous book. With a narrative-led adventure story, it’s easily accessible meaning anyone can pick it up and start reading to their children, even those who might be less confident or less used to reading aloud. 

"Babies and families alike will enjoy the bonding opportunities that come with snuggling up together repeatedly with this brilliant book and we know Bookstart Baby makes a difference to their reading habits. As well as supporting babies’ development and progress, we hope to demonstrate to families how much their children enjoy exploring books and stories together and hope that this kickstarts an early love of reading that will continue throughout childhood.” 

Scheffler added: "I feel very honoured that my book has been chosen as the Bookstart Baby book and it makes me feel slightly dizzy thinking of all these babies growing up with this book! I hope they will love the surprises in the book when they first lift the flaps and then that they will start to recognise the animals and remember who is hiding behind them."

Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, m.d. of Macmillan Children’s Books, commented: "We are delighted that BookTrust has selected Who’s Hiding on the Farm? by Axel Scheffler from our specialist baby and toddler imprint, Campbell Books, to be its BookStart Baby title this year.

"This unique initiative crucially enables families to introduce babies to their first book at a time where it feels more critical than ever to reach those most in need. Axel’s distinctive and welcoming artwork, with his surprise animal reveals behind every flap, makes for the perfect book to engage the youngest children in what we hope is the beginning of their reading journey."