Partner resource guide

The Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler programme aims to: 

• Provide target families with the tools and information that they need to feel inspired and excited about sharing stories together 
• Provide our partners with tools and information to support their work with families 
• Contribute to learning what support target families need for sharing stories together in the early years – and where, when, and how BookTrust and partners may best provide this support 
• Find successful routes to reaching families 
• Inform how we can better support our partners’ work with families 

Our target audience for these resources is families on a lower-income with children aged 1–4, to support them to make shared reading a regular part of their lives. The offer has been designed in collaboration with partners and with families from our target groups. 

BookTrust is committed to offering more targeted support to families from lower-income backgrounds because we know these children stand to benefit the most from reading regularly and reading by choice. We work with a broad network of delivery partners to reach families in the most deprived areas as well those living in pockets of deprivation in more affluent areas. 

Partners have used many different approaches to find the best routes to families; overall these could be described as: 

• Geographical – where partners have identified settings or routes working in areas of higher deprivation 

And/​or 

• Identifying routes or organisations that, by their nature, reach families in our target groups. 

Toddler 

Bookstart Toddler packs have been designed for children aged 1–2. We encourage you to see this only as a recommendation. We know that every child is different, and that because you work closely with families, you are best placed to know when to gift packs to match the stage a child is at. When gifting the packs, you can highlight some of the messaging printed on the pack envelope, such as how they can access further activities on our webpage for families, or how they can join their local library. 

If you have time, you could even try modelling for families how you might use the books and resources with a child – showing, for example, how parents/​carers can use the finger puppet as a character through which to tell the story or sing a rhyme. 

Pre-schooler 

Bookstart Pre-schooler packs have been designed for children aged 3–4. We encourage you to see this only as a recommendation. We know that every child is different, and that because you work closely with families, you are best placed to know when to gift packs to match the stage a child is at. When gifting the packs, you can highlight some of the messaging printed on the pack envelope, such as how they can access further activities, or how they can join their local library. 

If you have time, you could even try modelling for families how you might use the books and resources with a child – showing, for example, how ​‘Animals’ can be used to help children develop their fine motor skills by turning the wheel on the front cover and opening the flaps inside. 

Storyteller pack 

The Storyteller pack is a toolkit developed to support our partners to share stories with families. It can be used in settings with families as part of group storytelling sessions, or with individual families at home. 

You can share the books, use props to help bring them to life, and explore the activity cards for further suggestions on how to extend the stories. 

Help families to see how they can replicate the storytelling experience at home by pointing out what you’re doing, building their confidence, and emphasising that it doesn’t need to be perfect for their child to enjoy it! 

Alongside the physical packs, we have also created a webpage for families, containing further activities, read-along videos, book suggestions and advice on reading with their child. Families can access this via the QR code on the back of their pack, or by going to booktrust.org.uk/parents-families/ 

All books that BookTrust gifts to children and families are chosen through a selection panel. For Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler, the panel includes of children’s librarians, Bookstart coordinators and other early years practitioners. 

First, publishers are invited to submit books for the programmes, from which a longlist of books for consideration is created. The longlist is sent to each of the selection panellists for them to read, assess suitability, and share with the children and families they work with. Lastly, the panellists meet to share feedback, discuss the books together, and decide which are the best books for the Toddler, Pre-schooler and Storyteller packs. 

It can be quite a lively discussion! Some of the things the panel think about includes: 

• How a book involves children in the reading experience 
• The quality of the illustrations and how they support or enhance the story 
• The layout and design of the text and images and how accessible this is 
• How the story reads aloud 
• How diverse and inclusive the illustrations and the text are 
• Suitability for the age range 
• Whether the themes reflect or relate to a child’s everyday experiences 
• How interactive and engaging a book is 

The publishers of the Bookstart Toddler, Pre-schooler and Storyteller books have granted local authorities permissions to host live and recorded readings. 

Recorded readings should only be shared via closed / not publicly available groups. 

Note: For full information about how long the permissions are valid for, what is allowed and which credits are required, click on the following file to download the latest permissions: 

Bookstart-Toddler-Pre-schooler-Nursery-Storyteller-2026–27-Permissions.pdf 

Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler are just one part of BookTrust’s early years reading journey. 

Every baby born in England receives a Bookstart Baby pack, gifted by Health Visitors, Registrars and other early years professionals during the baby’s first year of life. This is a free book pack with resources, designed to support and encourage families to read with their child as early as possible. 

We also offer BookTrust Storytime, which aims to engage families with children aged 0–5 – especially those on lower incomes – in their local library and encourages them to explore a range of books and stories. As part of the offer, families can enjoy free activities, Storytime sessions and a welcoming space to have fun together – as well as being offered the chance to vote for their favourite story on the BookTrust Storytime Prize shortlist. 

We also offer free SEN packs and dual-language books and resources for children aged 0–5, to support access to books and the opportunity to enjoy reading. 

For more on how to gift these packs, and for information on all of our early years offers, please go to the Bookstart web page.

In Northern Ireland 

Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler are just one part of BookTrust’s early years reading journey. 

Every baby born in Northern Ireland receives a Bookstart Baby pack from their Health Visitor, usually at the 12–14 week or 6–9 month check. This is a free pack which contains a book and resources, designed to support and encourage families to read with their child as early as possible, and is part-funded by the Department of Education. 

We also offer BookTrust Storytime, which aims to engage families with children aged 0–5 – especially those on lower incomes – in their local library and encourages them to explore a range of books and stories. As part of the offer, families can enjoy free activities, Storytime sessions and a welcoming space to have fun together – as well as being offered the chance to vote for their favourite story on the BookTrust Storytime Prize shortlist. Visit Libraries NI website to find your nearest library. 

For more on how to gift these packs, and for information on all of our early years programmes, please go to the Bookstart web page.

In Wales 

Bookstart Toddler is just one part of BookTrust Cymru’s early years reading journey. 

Every baby born in Wales receives a Bookstart Baby pack from their Health Visitor, usually at the 6‑month Family Health Review, followed by a Bookstart Early Years pack at the 27-month Family Health Review. Both packs contain a high-quality bilingual book and resources, designed to support and encourage families to read with their child from as early as possible. Until 2025/26, BookTrust offered Bookstart Nursery packs for children aged 3–4 in Wales. These packs are no longer available. 

The Bookstart offer also includes dual-language books for families where English or Welsh is an additional language. These books are gifted in addition to the books in the Bookstart Baby and Early Years packs. 

For more on how to gift these packs, and for information on all of our early years offers, please go to the Bookstart in Wales web page. 

We continuously evaluate the programme through annual surveys of parents and carers and of our delivery partners, as well as through ongoing informal feedback gathered through our Partnerships work. 

Our evaluation shows that the programme sparks enjoyment and enthusiasm for families around shared reading, as well as supporting them to know more and feel more confident about sharing books and stories together. Between October 2025 and May 2026, we heard from 323 families receiving the programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As a result of the programme, families told us that they: 

• read or share books and stories more with their children (79%). 
• learnt something new about the different ways to read and share stories with their children (77%) 
• believed more strongly in the benefits of reading for their children (66%) 
• felt more confident reading and sharing books and stories (69%) 
• had tried to set up a reading routine at home (60%) 

Families on low incomes were more likely to report positive changes in knowledge, confidence and reading behaviours as a result of the Toddler / Pre-schooler programme pack. For example, 83% said they learned something new about ways to read or share books and stories together (compared with 67% of families not on low incomes). 80% said they feel more confident reading or sharing books and stories (compared with 53% of families not on low incomes), and 68% have tried to set up a reading routine at home (compared with 47% of families not on low incomes). 

Our findings show that the packs have a positive influence on families’ reading experiences and behaviours, but that the information and support partners provide alongside these amplify the benefits. Families who receive information, advice and reading tips when they get their pack are more likely to say they’ve learnt something new, set up a reading routine and visited their local library, compared to families who didn’t receive additional information. 

You can read more about the evaluation of the programme in our impact reports. 

Please email [email protected], specifying your local authority, and one of our BookTrust Partnership Managers will be in touch.