Children Warm to Winter Magic Story Time

Local group, ‘Paint the Blue Read’ presented a very successful Winter Magic Story Time for children in Katoomba Library on Saturday 19th June. For the second year in a row the library was full of excited but attentive children listening to songs, stories and book readings.

The group’s now famous mascot, Billy Booksie, gave out a free book of rhymes and with his helper, lead the children in a sing-a-long from the book. Billy’s helper, Liz Smith, reminded the parents how important rhymes and songs are to building literacy and language skills.

Following Billy, local story teller Rachel Besser enthralled the children with two wonderful winter magic tales, calling on the young audience to take roles and make plot suggestions. After Rachel, librarian Sue Rein and community reader Llyndell Heuston both read engaging picture books to the children.

Paint the Blue Read is a project of the Blue Mountains Stronger Families Alliance and is auspiced by Mountains Outreach Community Service. Its aim is to encourage all community members to support the development of local children’s early literacy skills from birth, so that they will be ready for reading and writing at school.

The next big community initiative from Paint the Read Blue is annual Reading Week, this year to be held during National Literacy and Numeracy Week from 30th August to 5th September. Paint the Blue Read invites shops and businesses to join in and read stories to local children during Reading Week as building children’s early literacy skills is a whole of community responsibility. Many local businesses who took part last year are lining up again as they said it was lots of fun. Shopkeepers and business owners from Mt Victoria to Glenbrook are invited to participate so watch out for events in your local community.

For more information on Paint the Blue Read and Reading Week phone Mountains Outreach Community Service on 4758 6811.

Nathan Rees’ Support of Paint the Blue Read - click here