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Absolutely devastated to hear that Judith Kerr, winner of our Lifetime Achievement Award, has passed away.
She is an utter icon and will never be forgotten. ❤️
Dear
@England
and
@GarethSouthgate
- it might not be the result we wanted, but THANK YOU.
We know your incredible team spirit, work ethic, inclusivity and compassion will have inspired millions of children and that means everything.
Bring on the World Cup ❤️
Today we are wishing a VERY happy birthday to the magnificent Allan Ahlberg - thank you so much for the wonderful books that continue to delight children!
Do you have a favourite book from the Ahlbergs?
We are completely and utterly delighted to announce that the brand new
@Waterstones
#ChildrensLaureate
2019-2021 is...
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ CRESSIDA COWELL! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
We cannot WAIT to see what this wonderful woman will do in the role ✨
@cressidacowell
Today's very special - not only is it Easter Sunday, but the brilliant Ramona author Beverly Cleary is celebrating her 104th birthday! Have a wonderful day Beverly ❤️
At BookTrust, we are all devastated to hear about the death of Raymond Briggs.
Raymond - the author and illustrator of The Snowman, Fungus the Bogeyman and so many other wonderful books - won our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
He will live on in his stunning, iconic books.
✨ Can you add sparkle to a vulnerable child's Christmas? ✨
This year more than ever, there are young people who may not be looking forward to Christmas. Donate £10 today to send a special book gift to a child who is vulnerable or in care:
#JustOneBook
It's
#WinnieThePoohDay
, marking the birth of author A.A. Milne! But which member of the Hundred Acre Wood is your favourite? Perhaps it's Piglet, Eeyore or Roo? Let us know...
If you need some
#MondayMotivation
, the brilliant You Are a Champion by
@MarcusRashford
and
@Ankaman616
is just the thing!
It's a really empowering read that encourages children to dream big - and you still just about have time to win one of five copies:
Today is
#NationalLibrarianDay
, so we'd just like to say THANK YOU to all the wonderful librarians across the country - we might not be able to come to the library at the moment, but we can't WAIT to be back!
We'd love to hear about the librarians you adore - real or fictional!
This can be a really difficult time of year for children who are vulnerable or in care, but
#JustOneBook
could brighten their Christmas. For £10, you could help us send out a surprise book gift - find out more here:
We're celebrating
#WorldPoetryDay
!
When we brought them together, Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho told The Queen Consort how he hopes his
#PoetryPrompts
will inspire a love of poetry in children.
Watch the conversation here:
@RoyalFamily
#ACESupported
⭐ It's official:
@JosephACoelho
is our brand new Waterstones
#ChildrensLaureate
2022-2024! ⭐
We couldn't be happier and can't wait to see all the amazing things Joseph will be getting up to over the next two years!
Find out more here:
#ACESupported
Today we are wishing a VERY happy birthday to the legendary Allan Ahlberg, author of some of our favourite children's books of all time (many illustrated by his late wife Janet!)
We'd love to hear which of Allan's stories is your favourite 😍
Pic: Janet Ahlberg
Not only is it Friday, but it's
#WinnieThePoohDay
AND the anniversary of AA Milne's birth! We can't think of anything that would give us more of a
#FridayFeeling
, so enjoy this little piece about Winnie's wisdom:
#friyay
Christmas won’t be magical for every child.
This year we want to send more surprise festive book parcels than ever before and light up Christmas for 16,000 children who are vulnerable or in care. ✨
Can you help?
#JustOneBook
Today we're slipping on our duffel coats and munching on marmalade sandwiches in honour of Michael Bond, who was born
#OnThisDay
in 1926. Thank you for the wonderful books, Michael. ❤️
You could brighten up Christmas for a child who is vulnerable or in care this year. Your £10 donations could help us send them a
#FestiveBookParcel
to make them feel special ❤️
Find out more and donate here:
Today we're remembering the wonderful Judith Kerr, who was born
#OnThisDay
in 1923 ❤️
From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Mog and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, she created some of the most beloved children's books of all time.
We'd love to hear about your favourites!
Today we are wishing a beyond huge, absolutely massive, completely FANTASTIC happy birthday to the magnificent Allan Ahlberg, who turns 80 today. We'd love to hear which of his books is your favourite - we're torn between two (and no, we're not saying which ones 😂)
🎉 🎈 BIG NEWS! 🎈 🎉
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have not one, but TWO winners of our
#LifetimeAchievementAward
this year - the fantastic Helen Oxenbury and the wonderful John Burningham.
Find out more about this exciting news here:
All of us at
@BookTrust
are so sad to hear that John Burningham has passed away at the age of 82.
His wonderful work will live on forever - a stunning legacy and an incredible man.
We're so glad we could honour him with our Lifetime Achievement Award.
Today we are wishing a super-duper, very, very, completely wonderful HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the magnificent Shirley Hughes, one of our Lifetime Achievement Award winners! ❤️
Thank you so much to Shirley for the wonderful books. We'd love to hear which ones are your favourites!
Right, forget work, let's play! 🙌
FIRST BOOK (you remember):
LAST BOOK:
BEST BOOK:
MOST-READ AUTHOR:
MOST SURPRISING BOOK:
COMFORT BOOK:
NEXT BOOK:
We can't wait to see your answers! 📚
#BookHistory
Did you know that Dodie Smith was born
#OnThisDay
in 1896? She wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians AND I Capture the Castle - two of our absolute favourites. Are you a fan?
Today we are wishing an absolutely massive and huge happy birthday to the wonderful Allan Ahlberg - a true force in children's books who is behind some of our favourites (including many with his late wife Janet).
Do let us know which of Allan's titles you love the most ❤️
⭐ EXCITING, SUPER DUPER, REALLY HAPPY NEWS! ⭐
We are utterly delighted to announce that the magnificent David McKee has won our
#LifetimeAchievementAward
.
David's the amazing man behind books like Elmer, Mr Benn and Not Now Bernard - what a legend!
Today we're thinking of the wonderful Dodie Smith, who was born
#OnThisDay
in 1896 and wrote brilliant books like The Hundred and One Dalmatians and I Capture the Castle (one of our favourite EVER stories!)
We'd love to hear if you're a fan of Dodie's books too ❤️
Did you know that Beatrix Potter was born
#OnThisDay
in 1866? We'd love to hear if you enjoyed her books as a child - and if you've passed them on to the next generation! Ooh, and if you dare to pick, which character is your favourite...?
We've checked, and we officially could not be more in love with this,
@neilhimself
&
@chrisriddell50
💗
Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell on why we need libraries – an essay in pictures
Did you know that the magnificent Janet Ahlberg was born
#OnThisDay
in 1944? We'd love to hear about your favourite Ahlberg book - we just can't choose!
Peepo... no, Burglar Bill... no, The Jolly Postman... no, Funnybones... it's too hard! 🤣
Everyone at BookTrust is devastated to hear about the death of David McKee, the author and illustrator of much-loved stories like Elmer, Not Now Bernard, Mr Benn and many more.
Today we're going to be reading Milly-Molly-Mandy stories because author Joyce Lankester Brisley was born
#OnThisDay
in 1896! We'd love to hear if you're a fan of the books ❤️
Today we are wishing a VERY happy birthday to Jan Pieńkowski, the wonderful writer-illustrator who has brought so many books to life! Meg and Mog just wouldn't be the same without him...
Don't believe reports that
#WorldBookDay
has been cancelled because of the weather - come snow or, um, snow, we'll be celebrating! If you're stuck at home, it's a perfect excuse to enjoy a book (and dress up). And
@WorldBookDayUK
is extending the voucher redemption period too! 🙌
All of us at
@BookTrust
are devastated to hear the news that Shirley Hughes has passed away at the age of 94.
Shirley's incredible stories and illustrations, from Dogger to Alfie and Lucy and Tom, have touched so many generations and are still so loved.
Thank you, Shirley.
Just think about all the incredible stories these wonderful people have gifted us. The hours of joy. The children’s lives they’ve touched ❤️❤️❤️
#childrenslaureate
We are utterly delighted to honour the magnificent Jan Pieńkowski with our 2019 BookTrust
#LifetimeAchievementAward
!
His incredible illustrations have delighted children for generations and we are thrilled to be able to recognise his incredible talent.
Did you know it's
#WorldCatDay
today? There are some fantastic fictional felines in children's books, so we'd love to hear about your favourite - can any beat Mog by Judith Kerr? 🐈
It's
#NationalLibrarianDay
today, so we're sending a shout out to all of the AMAZING librarians out there - whether in schools or public libraries - who make such a huge difference ❤️
We'd love to hear your shout-outs to the librarians in your life, past or present!
Did you know that it's
#EmpathyDay
today? Books can be an absolutely brilliant way to help us walk in other people's shoes, so we've put together a fab list of titles that encourage kindness, compassion and empathy:
Illustration: Axel Scheffler
Today we are wishing a VERY happy birthday to the mighty
@MichaelRosenYes
- poet, author, and former Waterstones
#ChildrensLaureate
!
Have a wonderful day Michael, and thank you for all of your incredible books 🎈
⭐ AMAZING NEWS ALERT! ⭐
We are thrilled to announce that the brilliant
@OnjaliRauf
is our brand new Writer in Residence - we can't wait to find out what she gets up to over the next six months.
Thanks for coming on board, Onjali!
'If you can read, you can do anything.'
We are so sorry to hear that children's book pioneer and Bookstart founder Wendy Cooling has died.
She was an incredible person who did so much to help children - her legacy is huge. Thank you, Wendy.
Dear
@Lionesses
,
We are so proud of you! Not only are we absolutely delighted you have won
#WEURO2022
but the courage, strength and resilience you have shown tonight and throughout the tournament have been incredible.
And most brilliantly, you have inspired so many children ❤️👏
Today is VERY special... because it's The Gruffalo's 20th birthday! Yes, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's utter classic was first published on 23 March 1999. Are you a fan? What are your memories of the book?
Here's a mask to help you celebrate:
The legendary Janet Ahlberg was born
#OnThisDay
in 1944 - her wonderful illustrations brought so many characters to life!
But which of the Ahlbergs' books is YOUR favourite? We just can't choose!
🚨 VERY EXCITING NEWS ALERT! 🚨
We are utterly thrilled to announce that the incredible
@MichaelRosenYes
is going to be our next
#WriterInResidence
!
Michael will focus on the benefits and fun of reading with babies and toddlers - find out more here:
HAPPY 60TH ANNIVERSARY PADDINGTON BEAR!
We're munching on marmalade sandwiches in tribute to Michael Bond's creation, who first arrived in our lives on 13 October 1958. Why not celebrate the big day with Peggy Fortnum's wonderful original illustrations?
'Let’s read our way through these times, write our stories and diaries, sing our songs.'
Our President Sir Michael Morpurgo has written a Letter from Lockdown to young readers and their parents and it is beautiful and cheery and lovely ❤️
#UnitedByBooks
Christmas won't be magical for every child.
A surprise festive book gift from you could light up Christmas for a vulnerable child. Will you help?
Donate today and make a child feel special ✨
#JustOneBook
#WorldGiftDay
It's
#WorldBookDay
, but it's also
#NationalPigDay
! You know what that means - a cute pig gif and a list of brilliantly oinky books. But who's your favourite porker in children's books? We might have to go for Wilbur in Charlotte's Web...
🎈 We are so excited to announce that the magnificent
@candygourlay
is our brand, shiny, sparkly new Writer in Residence! 🎈
(Seriously, it's been SO hard keeping this one secret.)
Find out more about what she'll be getting up to here:
We've got the cakes and balloons out today because it's time to celebrate - our wonderful 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Judith Kerr is celebrating her 95th birthday! Which of her books is your favourite? 🎂 🎈
Some children won't be looking forward to Christmas this year.
That's why we'll be sending book parcels to children in care to help light up their Christmas and make them feel special. Can you help?
#JustOneBook
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was published
#OnThisDay
70 years ago - hands up if you've ever had a snoop at the back of an old closet hoping to find a magical world?!
We'd love to hear if you're a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia - perfect reading for this time of year!
Whether or not
@MarcusRashford
becomes a
#EURO2020
hero, he's already a legend in our eyes!
Here, his writing partner
@Ankaman616
explains how they're hoping their new book will help every child to feel like a champion ❤️
Today we are wishing a very happy 90th birthday to the complete icon that is Sir Quentin Blake 🎉
We'd love to hear which of his books or illustrations is your favourite!
Today, we're remembering the wonderful Judith Kerr, who was born
#OnThisDay
in 1923. From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit to Mog, she truly was one of a kind.
We'd love to hear your memories of Judith and her books ❤️
We think Marcus Rashford is an absolute inspiration, both on and off the pitch.
His book with Carl Anka, You Are a Champion, shares his story and encourages children to dream big and make a difference in the world 🙌
Here's how you could win a copy:
Today we'll be remembering the wonderful Judith Kerr, who was born
#OnThisDay
in 1923. Just take a look at this list of some of her brilliant books - what a legacy:
We're feeling mischievous, so it's time for the battle of the bears! If you could choose just one, would you be
#TeamPooh
or
#TeamPaddington
? 🐻
(We know, we're evil. We're going to go and sit on the naughty step. We still want to know, though.)
Pics: EH Shepard/Peggy Fortnum
Not only is it
#Valentines
Day, it's
#InternationalBookGivingDay
! So why not share the reading love with someone? We think this quote from
@neilhimself
sums it up rather nicely. 📚 ❤️
We'd love to hear which one book you would like to pass on to someone today...
📢 SUPER LOVELY HAPPY NEWS ALERT!
We are thrilled to announce that the amazing SF Said is going to be our brand new
#WriterInResidence
from 1 March!
He is such an incredible advocate for children's books and reading so we are delighted 🎉
@whatSFSaid
Today,
@CressidaCowell
has launched
#LifechangingLibraries
to highlight the importance of library spaces in primary schools - it's just not fair that too many children are missing out.
Here's her open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for funding:
We are so excited to unveil our
#GreatBooksGuide
2018! It's packed full of 100 brilliant books for children from 0-11 (with a few suggestions for 12+ readers too). And just look at that beautiful
@Bonzetta1
illustration!
Start exploring here:
We hear it's
#NationalLibrarianDay
! We have no idea if this is official but frankly we are just going to PRETEND it is - any excuse to celebrate brilliant librarians is fine by us...
Did you know that Stig of the Dump author Clive King was born
#OnThisDay
in 1924? We'd love to hear if you're a fan of the book (or if your children like it!)
Pic: Edward Ardizonne
Ooh, it's only
#TalkLikeAPirateDay
which we think is a perfect time for some
#PirateBooks
! How about The Gruffa-Yo-Ho-Ho, The Chronicles of Narniaaaaaargh, The Jolly Roger Postman or The Princess and the Grog? Go on, give us your best ones, me hearties!
It's National Very Hungry Caterpillar Day today - woohoo!
We would love to hear if you're a fan of Eric Carle's book... it's the first one we remember picking off the nursery library trolley, so it has a very special place in our hearts ❤️
#VHCDay
@PuffinBooks
As it's
#NationalTeaDay
, we have to ask - which fictional character would you love to have a cuppa with? Maybe Paddington, because he'd bring marmalade sandwiches... or how about Dumbledore, for some wisdom to go with your drink? Let us know your choices!
Today we're wishing a VERY happy birthday to Rod Campbell, who wrote one of our absolute favourite picture books... Dear Zoo! We'd love to hear if you and your children are fans too!
Did you know that Stig of the Dump author Clive King was born
#OnThisDay
in 1924? We'd love to hear if you're a Stig fan! Have you introduced your children to the book yet?
Illustration: Edward Ardizzone
Ooh, look at this - it's only the
#BluePeterBookAwards
Best Story longlist! Some really wonderful tales in here (we have no idea how our judges will narrow it down to just three!)
#BluePeter
It's only one of our favourite days of the year - it's National
#BookLoversDay
! We'd love to hear your top quotes about books: here's one from
@paolini
to get you started...
#ThursdayThoughts
Waah! The 2018 Carnegie Medal longlist is here and it is SO GOOD - congratulations to everyone who is included! We have no idea how we'd pick a winner from these 20 books... do you have any favourites?
@CILIPCKG
@CILIPinfo
#CKG18
#bestchildrensbooks
STOP EVERYTHING. No, seriously, do. You have to - it's
#NationalLazyDay
! It's basically law that you have to loll about, in other words.
(And yes, it IS time for our favourite Little Women quote again.)
#FridayFeeling
#friyay
We are wishing the happiest of birthdays to the magnificent Allan Ahlberg, the author of so many iconic books loved by families for generations (including, of course, the wonderful stories he created with his late wife, illustrator Janet Ahlberg).
Which is your favourite? 🎈