Article Source: Scottish Book Trust
Last Updated: 18 May 2020 13:18
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, will host online celebrations this year for Bookbug Week, which runs from Monday 18 May – Sunday 24 May.
As the Bookbug programme has been running since 2010, the charity will mark the ten year milestone with #HappyBirthdayBookbug, encouraging families across Scotland to send Bookbug their birthday wishes.
Bookbug Week is an annual celebration of Scotland’s national book-gifting programme and Song and Rhyme Sessions. There will be many ways for families to join in the fun at home, such as a daily drawalong with Bookbug's creator Debi Gliori, to learn how to draw Bookbug and friends. There will also be a special film with Debi, which explains how she created Bookbug ten years ago.
The popular live Bookbug Session on Facebook will run on Friday 22 May at 10am, for everyone to join in and sing happy birthday to Bookbug. The first live Bookbug Session was a great success with over 20,000 views. For those that cannot join the live session, there will be an option to watch later, or the option of acelebratory Bookbug Session for families to try at home themselves.
Scottish Book Trust’s home activities hub will be packed with more themed ideas to try at home, from making a party hat to colouring in sheets of Bookbug. All through the week, there will also be competitions on the charity’s website and social media. Scottish Book Trust will also be asking for families' memories of their child's Bookbug Bags and Bookbug Sessions with their little ones.
As always, families can access Bookbug’s Song and Rhyme library, via Scottish Book Trust’s website, or on the free Bookbug app. Building on the increasing demand for modern nursery rhymes, Scottish Book Trust commissioned Sprog Rock to develop a brand new birthday song, which will launch on Wednesday 20 May. The new song was created through interactive nursery workshops earlier this year with Bucklyvie Nursery in Glasgow. The song centres around the theme of being ten years old, with nursery children contributing their imaginative thoughts about what that age means to them.
Minister for Children and Young People, Maree Todd said: “I am delighted that we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Bookbug programme in Scotland. To date, Bookbug has provided well over 6 million books to children and helped families across Scotland to take part in Bookbug activities and enjoy precious moments of reading, story-telling and singing together.
We know these are challenging times for families so it is heartening to see that the Bookbug online sessions are proving to be such a success. I am also pleased to see that this year’s celebrations will be packed with themed activity ideas for families to try at home.
I would like to thank Scottish Book Trust and everyone involved in delivering this wonderful programme and I hope that many families can join in the exciting virtual events and resources during the Bookbug week.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is looking forward to celebrating Bookbug’s tenth birthday with families across Scotland through our website, social media channels and Bookbug app. We are extremely proud of the impact that the Bookbug programme has made in the last decade: from delivering free bags of books, to bringing communities together through Bookbug Sessions, to working with families at home who need our support to get started sharing stories and songs together.
“We'd like to thank all our colleagues from libraries, health, education, social care and the third sector for building Bookbug with us – it truly is a national partnership that shows how much we value books, and value children. We look forward to receiving everyone’s birthday messages for Bookbug and hope that families can join us to celebrate.”
Funded by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, Bookbug is Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme. The Bookbug programme encourages mums, dads and carers to sing and share stories with their children from birth. It gives every child in Scotland four free bags of books in their first 5 years, gifting over 885,000 books every year. Bookbug also runs regular free story, song and rhyme events in libraries, shopping centres and other community venues which attracted audiences of over 720,000 parents and children in 2018-19.
Scotland's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn, has announced that British fragrance house, Jo Malone London, has opened its doors today.
READ MOREThere's loads to see and do – from pet friendly days out to breakfast with dinosaurs, loch tours and much more!
READ MOREScotland's largest wedding showcase, The Scottish Wedding Show, returns to Glasgow this weekend, ready to welcome thousands of couples from across the country looking to plan their dream day!
READ MOREKeela, the Scottish outdoor clothing brand, and Mountaineering Scotland Launch ‘Within You’, an new three-month campaign, inspiring Confidence, Connection, and Adventure in the Outdoors!
READ MOREScotland's national celebration of books, Book Week Scotland, returns from 17th to 23rd November and tickets are on sale now!
READ MOREDobbies Garden Centres is lifting community spirits this season with a Christmas tree donation across the country, in partnership with Needlefresh.
READ MOREGlasgow charity and social enterprise Merry-go-round is celebrating after receiving £18,000 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
READ MOREA specially created preview of The Nook mental health support hub will be popping up in some of Glasgow’s most renowned locations.
READ MOREScotland's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn, has announced it has secured popular independent fashion, jewellery and homewares retailer, Oliver Bonas.
READ MORERomesh Ranganathan will make his stage debut in a new production of Alan Ayckbourn's psychological comedy Woman In Mind, in a strictly limited engagement at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow.
READ MOREThe Theatre Royal, Glasgow has announced an additional performance of Horrible Histories – The Concert coming to the venue from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd March.
READ MORETeenagers in Glasgow are being offered a chance to step behind the camera and into a studio with the launch of a brand-new Film&Screen Saturday Club that's free to join and open to 13-16 year olds.
READ MOREFormer Celtic and Scotland football heroes to join ex-player with MND on 150-mile March of The Day to raise funds to help tackle the disease.
READ MOREAmy MacDonald, Hue and Cry, Nathan Evans and The Saint PHNX Band, Skipinnish, Shay O'Dowd and James Emmanuel are among the first winners to be announced for the GUITARGUITAR Scottish Music Awards!
READ MOREThis October, Somewhere by Nico on Byres Road dares guests to enter The House of Horrors, a 5-course cocktail experience inspired by some of cinema's most iconic fright-fests.
READ MOREEmily Lane will star as Cady Heron alongside Vivian Panka as Regina George when Mean Girls The Musical comes to Glasgow's King's Theatre next summer!
READ MOREScotland’s colourful past bursts to life this October as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) returns with its popular Living History programme for the school holidays.
READ MOREThe hugely popular experience, Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition, will end its very successful Glasgow run on 26th October 2025.
READ MOREBarbie®: The Exhibition is set to make its Scottish debut at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from 13 June 2026!
READ MOREMarine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts Collection have launched new offerings designed for cosy coastal retreats and joyful pre-festive celebrations.
READ MOREThe Scottish Government's Women and Girls in Sport Week launches this week, celebrating the power of movement and encouraging women and girls of all ages to get active in ways that work for them.
READ MOREScotland's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn, is inviting job seekers looking to gain retail experience to its annual Job Fair on Friday 10th October, 10am – 5pm in the main atrium.
READ MOREArtist Gerard M Burns has revealed a new portrait of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's Leader, Maya Iwabuchi as part of his Mother Glasgow project.
READ MOREFlight Club is turning 10 in October and taking the celebrations on a UK-wide birthday tour, with a month of parties in each city it calls home!
READ MOREProducer Karl Sydow is delighted to announce that Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage will be touring the UK and Ireland from summer 2026.
READ MOREDue to high demand, extra tickets have been released for True Crime Live: Murder – A Search for the Truth with international crime expert David Swindle.
READ MOREWith the October school holidays fast approaching, ScotRail has unveiled a new, affordable way for families to make the most of the break!
READ MOREThe final space in the Citizens Theatre's acclaimed seven-year redevelopment opens this week on Wednesday 8th October.
READ MOREYe cannae shove yer granny aff a bus - but you can take her for a free meal at COSMO St Enoch!
READ MOREGlasgow's city centre was transformed into a festival of running as thousands took part in the 10K and Half Marathon, cheered on by over 100,000 supporters as part of the city's famous spirit.
READ MORE