13/9/2005 - Bringing books to life

Cumbrian parents can perfect their storytelling skills and bring their child’s favourite book to life from mid-September as Cumbria County Council’s Library and Adult Education Services launch a series of Storysack making courses.

Storysacks are brightly coloured bags filled with books, soft toys and games, and are available in the county’s libraries. They have proved highly popular with parents and children alike as they make books fun and build a child’s interest in reading. 

On the back of the success of Storysacks, a five-week course is now being offered to help parents make their own Storysacks. The course will run in libraries across Cumbria. It is completely free and in some cases support can also be provided for childcare.

A friendly tutor will help parents choose an appropriate book and find or create suitable characters and games to support the story. All the resources are free and at the end of the course they will have an individual Storysack to take home. 

Roger Bingham, Cumbria County Council spokesman for the Library Service says:

"Storysacks have proved massively popular and are an excellent way of developing a childs interest in books from an early age. I would encourage everyone to book a place on a fun course that will help your child get the most from their favourite books." 

To find out more about Storysacks, or to reserve a place on a course at a library near you, please contact:

Erin Stockill on 01229 894378.