BookTrust Storytime
BookTrust Storytime is an exciting library experience for families, offering a fun, free, and easy way to entertain under 5s at local libraries.
What is BookTrust Storytime?
BookTrust Storytime is an exciting library experience for families, offering a fun, easy way to entertain under 5s at your local library. Come and enjoy free and lively activities in a space you can have fun and enjoy stories together. It is part of BookTrust’s Early Years journey which also includes the Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler programme.
We are now in the fifth year of this exciting programme, which has been informed by work with libraries and families, feedback from previous years and BookTrust’s wider evidence and expertise.
Discover this year’s BookTrust Storytime books
We’ve chosen five books that we think are perfect for enjoying with children aged 0–5! Libraries taking part in BookTrust Storytime will be sharing these books, and families will be voting for their favourites.
Watch BookTrust Storytime winner Caryl Hart introducing the five books that have been shortlisted for the 2027 prize.
The books in the shortlist are:
- All the Wonderful Ways to Move by Laura Baker, illustrated by Sandra de la Prada (Little Tiger)
- Balloon’s Big Adventure by Carly Gledhill (Andersen Press)
- Bear’s Nap by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots)
- Calling All Bears! By Diana Murray, illustrated by Alex Willmore (Boxer Books)
- Feed Your Monster by Anna Milbourne (Usborne)
- Frank the Pizza by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Mike Byrne (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
- Frank is a Butterfly by Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press)
- Googly Eyes: I Am the Moon, illustrated by Teresa Bellón (Boxer Books)
- The Great Unicorn Rescue by Diane Ewen (Macmillan Children’s Books)
- How to Find a Yeti by Matt Hunt (Nosy Crow)
- Marching Band by Kael Tudor, illustrated by Kate Hindley (Nosy Crow)
- Oh Dear, Look What I Got! By Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books)
- Priya Mistry and the Lost Treasure by Babita Sharma, illustrated by Ali Pye (Orchard Books)
- Rescue Crew by Suzy Senior, illustrated by Mike Byrne (Farshore)
- Squish! By Tim Bugbird, illustrated by Ian Worrall-Dutton (Make Believe Ideas)
- Taking the Long Way Home by Jake Hope, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald (Scallywag Press)
- Tiny Tiger: Why Can’t I? by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Steve Small (Simon & Schuster)
- The Turtles Who Turned the Tide by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field (Orchard Books)
- We’re Going on a Dino Hunt by Yasmin Bond, illustrated by Vicky Lommatzsch (Two Windmills)
- When I am Kind, illustrated by Paula Bowles (Child’s Play International Ltd)
- Wrong Time Rooster by Michael Parkin (Flying Eye Books)
-
BookTrust Storytime Prize: previously shortlisted books
If you’ve read the current BookTrust Storytime Prize shortlist, do try these fantastic books next. The BookTrust Storytime programme is designed to support libraries to inspire families with children aged 0–5 to share stories together and make visiting their local library part of everyday life.
What our partners say
“I absolutely loved loved loved the Storytime sessions. We made some friends who came to the library for the very first time in their lives and they are coming back as regular borrowers. We have built amazing relationship with The Children’s Centre and are more aware of what services they provide for families. We will work together on helping local families with mental health, breastfeeding, and supporting child development.”
Librarian, Northamptonshire
-
Run by volunteers, Chew Valley Library in the village of Bishop Sutton is one of many community libraries in Bath and North East Somerset. Volunteer Angela Cruse reveals how BookTrust Storytime has equipped them with what they need to launch interactive sessions for families.
“My granddaughter feels really happy, she looks forward to it. Every morning she says to me, “Grandma, let’s go Zoom Zoom”. ‘Zoom, Zoom, we’re going to the moon’, that’s one of her favourite poems (songs), obviously she can’t say library yet, but ‘Zoom Zoom’ means library to her. She wants to go to the ‘Zoom Zoom’ every day.
Grandmother, Mrs Ahmed, talking about her granddaughter’s experience of BookTrust Storytime
BookTrust Storytime Prize
The BookTrust Storytime Prize was launched in 2019 to find the best book for sharing with children aged 0–5, and since 2021 it has been part of BookTrust Storytime programme, designed to support libraries to inspire families with children aged 0–5 to share stories together and make visiting their local library part of everyday life.
BookTrust Storytime evaluations
-
Read more about how BookTrust Storytime is making a difference to libraries and families.
Explore more of BookTrust’s research, including our latest impact report, and interactive benefits of reading summary.
More from BookTrust Storytime
-
Here are some suggestions, tips and resources to help you to deliver a great BookTrust Storytime session in your library.
-
Here are some ideas and resources to help bring BookTrust Storytime to life.