BookTrust, HarperCollins and Farshore partner on campaign for Dads' reading

BookTrust has launched a campaign, Dads Make Stories Magic, featuring Joe Wicks and Michael Morpurgo among others, to urge fathers to read to their children.

The campaign is run in partnership with HarperCollins Children’s Books and Farshore and calls on fathers to pledge to read with their children more regularly to reach a million minutes of storytime shared across the UK.

BookTrust said: “With the backing of children’s book authors and public figures including Michael Morpurgo, Nick Butterworth, Joe Wicks, Alexander Armstrong, Emmanuel Asuquo and David Walliams, the Dads Make Stories Magic campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of reading aloud to children. BookTrust, Farshore and HarperCollins Children’s Books will offer top tips and practical ideas of how to engage even the most reluctant of readers with books and stories. They will also share details of the campaign’s supporters’ magical storytime experiences with their own children and grandchildren to inspire others to get involved.”

Research has revealed that only 29% of children are read a story every day or nearly every day by their fathers, and fathers are twice as likely as mothers to lack confidence in their reading ability and choosing books their children would like to read, according to Nielsen BookData’s Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer’ 2022.

Farshore conducted a study in collaboration with parenting community Dadsnet to test the impact of daily reading. The study, involving 33 fathers and their 49 children, demonstrated a significant increase in fathers’ and children’s enjoyment of reading, sense of togetherness, wellbeing and a positive effect on the child’s learning and behaviour, according to BookTrust.

Morpurgo said: “My journey to becoming a story-maker began with my mother and grandmother reading to me and my brother in bed. For us, these nightly readings were acts of love. They lived all of it as they read, we lived all of it as we listened – we made the stories together. In sharing their own passion for stories with us, I learned early on how reading can be immersive, transporting, and sheer joy."

He added: "I’m so pleased to support this campaign, to inspire and motivate anyone with a child in their lives to enjoy the powerful benefits of storytelling. We must all work together to enrich children’s lives through encouraging a love of words and stories.”

Diana Gerald, BookTrust c.e.o., commented: “Reading is something that can be done anywhere and brings children life-changing benefits that can give them the best start in life. There’s no right or wrong way to read a book. You can look at the pictures, use silly voices or make up your own story. Children will love the closeness and bonding moments that come from sharing a book together so there’s nothing to stop you from giving it a go. Join the Dads Make Stories Magic campaign and you’ll be sharing magical storytime experiences and creating memories together with your children.”

Cally Poplak, executive publisher at HarperCollins Children’s Books and Farshore, said: “Our mission is to make every child a proud reader. One effective way to do this is to read aloud to children and we’d love more dads to have this wonderfully rewarding experience through our Dads Make Stories Magic campaign.” 

For more information, visit dadsmakestoriesmagic.co.uk.