Overview
- Queen Camilla, BookTrust’s patron since 2011, hosted a centenary reception that brought together authors including Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Julia Donaldson, Malorie Blackman, Richard Osman, Floella Benjamin and Sir Michael Morpurgo.
- Camilla underscored the value of early reading, saying she would not be “standing here now” without being read to as a child and urging families to start the habit early.
- The new Peter Rabbit title, Four Happy Bunnies, will be delivered through Bookstart Baby by health professionals during infants’ first nine months, with the programme reported to reach around 90% of newborns and more than 500,000 families each year.
- Created with Penguin Random House Children’s, the board book features tactile felt flaps, bold colours and rhythmic verse designed to engage babies and caregivers.
- BookTrust leaders stressed ongoing work to tackle reading access gaps, noting partnerships with 30,000 community organisations and support for 1.4 million children annually across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.