BookTrust Storytime is an exciting library experience for families, offering a fun, free, and easy way to entertain under 5s at local libraries.

BookTrust have chosen five books they think are perfect for enjoying with children aged 0–5! So we’ll be taking part in BookTrust Storytime to share these books, and families will be voting for their favourites. 

Come, vote for your favourite book each week with crafts and play during regular Storytimes at Keynsham, Midsomer Norton and Bath Central Libraries, 24 February – 2 April. Find your nearest Storytime on our events calendar.

During this National Year of Reading 2026, public libraries will be at the heart of a national movement. Across the UK, children, teenagers and adults are reading less, and families are finding it harder to read together at home. If you haven’t come to our regular Storytime before, give our special BookTrust Storytimes a go – join the library while you are there and enjoy the new buzz of play and crafts, as well as great books. 

Watch last year’s winner Lucy Rowland introduce the five books shortlisted for the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2026 in the following video:

Join our Storytimes for a different book each week, with themed crafts and play. If you haven’t visited us before, check out our short videos introducing you to our libraries.

If you miss a Storytime, or want to take part from home, use the tabs below to watch the stories being read on YouTube and download our craft activity sheets.

Five Enormous Dinosaurs

Five Enormous Dinosaurs

Illustrated by Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow

Interest age: 1 to 2

Count along with five mischievous dinosaurs whilst they play and find out why this book is BookTrust recommended.

Watch the story being read:

Click here to download our Paper Plate Dino craft activity

Suki Cat Astronaut

Suki Cat Astronaut

by Grace Habib

Interest age: 2 to 3

Today Suki Cat is an astronaut! Join her as she zooms to the moon and helps an alien. Push the sliders and pull the tabs for an out-of-this-world experience! Find out why this story is BookTrust recommended.

Watch the story being by Grace Habib:

Click here to download Lolly Stick Spaceship craft activity:

Superwolf

Superwolf

by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty 

Interest age: 3 to 5

Luna, the little wolf, has just one ambition: she wants to be a superhero. But there’s a big problem – all of the animals are TERRIFIED of wolves. Luna tries her best but whenever she tries to save the day, everyone runs off screaming! Will she ever see her dream of being a superhero come true? Find out why this story is BookTrust recommended.

Watch the story being read by Helen Doherty:

Click here to download the Super Hero Mask craft activity

The Jellyfish Jiggle

The Jellyfish Jiggle

by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Nicola Slater 

Interest age: 3 to 5

Scuttle with the crab, dive with the penguin, rock the pelican’s boat and wiggle, jiggle and giggle with the jellyfish! Find out why this story is BookTrust recommended.

Watch the story being read by Caryl Hart:

Click here to download the Jelly Fish craft activity

Tiger, It’s Snowing!

Tiger, It’s Snowing!

by Daishu Ma 

Interest age: 8+, Reading age: 3 to 6

It’s snowing! Tiger has never seen snow before and is eager to go out and play. But best friend Mei isn’t so keen. It is quite chilly, after all. Find out why this story is BookTrust recommended.

Watch the story being read by Daishu:

Click here to download the Torn Paper Tiger craft activity

Click here to find out more about our partnership with BookTrust

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The session was aimed at 7-11 year olds and you can take part in the activities whilst watching this catch-up video! Just have a pen/pencil and at least three sheets of paper to hand.

Sophie Kirtley is author of ‘The Wild Way Home’ and ‘The Way to Impossible Island’.

Damaris Young is author of ‘The Creature Keeper’.

Tamsin Mori is author of ‘The Weather Weaver’.

This event took place in 2021.

The post Wild World Heroes Author Event appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Sing a long to nursery rhymes and songs, with easy actions for under-5s to enjoy.

Use the tabs to see all of the videos; Kat is the Bath Central Baby Bounce and Rhyme champ, Debbie performs Makaton while singing and Julia gets out her guitar!

Many of these videos were filmed during lockdown, so you may hear occasional references to everyone staying at home.

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A special reading of ‘Twas the Night before Christmas, by the staff and volunteers of B&NES Council, filmed in 2020. Read the full poem below.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ or ‘A Visit From St. Nick’ was written by Clement Clarke Moore in the 1920’s. It has become a beloved favourite, embodying all that is warm and comforting about the festive period.

A hundred years later, the staff and volunteers of Bath and North East Somerset Council created this reading to spread some festive cheer in our community and wish ‘A happy Christmas to all!’.

To make this video we filmed ourselves at home, via video conferencing or in socially-distanced offices. We had help from colleagues, friends, family and dogs!

We decorated ourselves and our spaces, and used our phones, tablets and computers to record a few lines of this lovely poem, and we had a few giggles along the way!

Like everyone that year, we did our best!

Did You Know?

This poem has featured in films, TV programmes and has even been set to music and recorded!

This poem is the source for many of our ideas of Father Christmas, including him visiting on Christmas Eve.

Moore originally wrote the poem for his children and was hesitant to take credit for it. By the time he claimed authorship, seven other people had already said they wrote it!

A Visit From St Nicholas or ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

-Clement C. Moore, 1823

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