DK donates 18,000 children's books to BookTrust Christmas appeal

Publisher DK has “made a very significant donation” of 18,000 books to support the children’s reading charity BookTrust’s latest Christmas Appeal.

The charity will deliver the books to children in foster care and those whose families use community foodbanks in the run up to Christmas.

The BookTrust fundraises to deliver thousands of books to vulnerable children across the UK annually. This year all the donations for the festive campaign will be covered by DK  Books will be sent directly to 8,800 children in care by local authorities and thousands more will be given out through community organisations.

DK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. DK and BookTrust have “worked closely together” to ensure that the titles gifted are suitable for looked after children, as well as being exciting and engaging to support BookTrust’s mission to get children from all backgrounds reading regularly and by choice.   

Books being donated include: Baby Touch and Feel Bunny, Pop-Up Peekaboo Shark and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Very First Encyclopedia for the youngest children; Hidden Animals and titles from the How Can I Help? series for preschoolers; What’s The Difference: Animals; Animal Ultimate Handbook and It’s A Wonderful World for seven to 11-year-olds, and Earth Knowledge Genius and Animal Knowledge Genius for older children.  

Diana Gerald MBE, c.e.o of BookTrust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for this extremely generous donation from DK – their wonderful gift means we can make sure even more children across the country will receive Christmas presents. For children who celebrate Christmas it’s traditionally such an exciting time, but for a child living in care who may be spending their first holiday in a new environment, or the child whose parents are under major financial strain – this year may be very different.   

“The joy of reading is something every child deserves to experience, our Christmas appeal is a reminder that books are not just stories – they unlock the imagination and are sources of knowledge, connection and fun. We’re asking for your support so that we can share the magic of reading with more children this Christmas and beyond” 

Paul Kelly, c.e.o., of DK, said: “Making reading enjoyable and accessible and helping children to discover the world are fundamental parts of our ethos at DK. For a child, reading can be a tool to learn something new, to build confidence or it can be a form of escapism – reading sits at the heart of a child’s development and we are proud to partner with BookTrust to support this wonderful campaign.”  

BookTrust’s Christmas Appeal runs from 6th November until the end of December and aims to raise thousands of pounds to help more children and families experience the life-changing benefits of reading this Christmas and beyond.

To donate to the appeal, go to www.booktrust.org.uk.