LOVE FOR WILDLIFE BOOKS ABOUNDS
READING aloud to a child is one of the best things you can do to ensure they get the best start in life.
And that’s why parents across Australia open books and read to their children every day – a shared delight, a precious slice of shared time and treasured memories of a growing vocabulary.
Mum Nicole Sandor always reads to her children Sofia, 9, and Alicia, 7.
“I’m a huge advocate of the importance of reading but also of sharing stories and learning new words together,” she said.
Dr Matthew Zbaracki, Australian Catholic University’s head of education, said animal illustrations in picture books played a strong role in a child’s literacy development.
“They provide additional information for children and sometimes are a support for what is happening within the text,” he said.
“Many picture story books have animals as the main characters because kids are drawn to them and they can be universal. Children definitely have an interest in animals.”
Everyone loves a great children’s book about nature and animals, which is why The Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian newspapers, in conjunction with Discovery and Animal Planet are launching the Great Australian Wildlife Book Collection, in papers from tomorrow. The collection of 15 books features beautiful imagery of the most iconic animals from a variety of landscapes.
The launch comes as families with animal surnames prepare for free entry at southern Tasmania’s Bonorong Sanctuary, tomorrow only.
Collect your bonus copy of the first book in the series, Iconic Australia, tomorrow when you buy the paper from participating outlets. See terms and conditions, wildlifebooks.com.au