BookTrust Storytime – fun tips for sharing the books at your library

Tips from Izzy Martin, Early Years Librarian, Libraries and Heritage Services and Resources, Hertfordshire County Council:  

• “When introducing the story, show children the cover, and say: ​‘This is a book about a cat who loves to play fancy dress. Can you guess what she is going to dress up as today?’” 
• “The book is mostly written in rhyming couplets on each page, so try not to break these up if you stop for a moment to explore the story’s illustrations.” 
• “Add actions as you go, like putting on a helmet to become an astronaut, waving goodbye to earth, or forming a rocket with your arms above your head and blasting off. You could invite children to do a spacewalk, act like aliens, or shine like stars.” 
• “Make use of the final slider on the back of the book, with the alien flying off and waving goodbye.”

Tips from the book’s author, Helen Docherty 

• “Before I start reading, I tell children that every time they hear me say: ​‘Don’t panic!’ they should get ready to join in with the line: ​‘Superwolf is here!’ Practise doing this with them before the story.” 
• “If the children are old enough, you could introduce the story by asking them what a superhero does (help people, save the day). Then tell them this story is about a little wolf called Luna, who wants to be a superhero, but she has a problem, can they guess what the problem is? If they can’t guess, I ask them whether wolves are usually the goodies or baddies in other stories (Little Red Riding Hood, or The Three Little Pigs). This helps them to work out people might not trust a wolf, or they might be scared of her and run away.” 
• “There is lots of humour in the illustrations. Children love spotting the baby panda under the table who has stolen the birthday cake. 
• “Encourage children to join in with lots of actions from the story. For example: brushing your teeth, howling, climbing a mountain, rowing as a team (to get away from the waterfall). Not forgetting joining in with the line: ​“Superwolf is here!” complete with superhero action. I always end the story by getting them to repeat this line with me.” 

Tips from Izzy Martin, Early Years Librarian, Libraries and Heritage Services and Resources, Hertfordshire County Council  

• “Ask children if they’ve ever seen snow before. Explain that Tiger hasn’t, so this is a book about Tiger experiencing snow for the first time with his best friend Mei (pronounced ​‘May’).” 
• “You could add actions, like ​‘Mmmm’ (rubbing your belly), ​‘Brrrrr’ (pretending to shiver), ​‘Hop, hop, hop’ (bouncing left and right), or ​‘snow angels’ (swing your arms above your head).” 
• “Explore Tiger’s expressions and ask: ​‘How is he feeling?’ when he tastes snow, when he makes a paw print, or when Mei is sneezing. Ask questions like: ​‘What do you like to do in the snow?’ and ​“This tiger is in the snow, where do you think tigers usually are?’” 

Tip from Post Wave, the book’s publisher 

• “Have a piece of scrap paper to hand. When you get to the bit in the story where ​‘Tiger is scrunching up a snowball’, scrunch up the paper and throw it in the air as you shout: ​‘catch!’” 

Tips from Izzy Martin, Early Years Librarian, Libraries and Heritage Services and Resources, Hertfordshire County Council  

• “Ask children if they have a favourite dinosaur, or, as this is a counting book, start with a counting song like Five Little Ducks.” 
• “Children can join in with the roars and stomps in the story. You could have a practise before you start. If children are seated, you could ask them to make a stomping action with their hands ​‘plodding’ down, or to clap their hands for each stomp.” 
• “Pause when you get to the: ​‘And then there were…’ and let the families fill in the numbers.” 
• “You could read the book through with minimal stopping to keep the rhythm. Then, you could then read it again straight away and explore the pictures further. What vegetables are in their stew? Where are they having fun? (The beach), where do you like to go to have fun? What is the final dinosaur doing? (Reading) Are they happy on their own? (Yes).” 

Tips from the book’s author, Caryl Hart 

• Sing a song with actions – it could be a jellyfish song – and once children have got their jiggles out, settle down for a story. (There’s also a calming down page at the end of the story.) 
• Show the children the book and tell them it’s all about animals that live under the sea. Ask if they know who lives under the sea. Or you could show them images or cuddly toys of sea creatures and ask children to name them. It’s amazing how much some children already know. 
• Invite children to join in with the actions of each animal. Allow plenty of time for children to move about and then settle again before the next action. 

Each year, families vote for their favourite book for the BookTrust Storytime Prize. And the winner for 2026 has been announced!