One young book fan has won a special competition run by Suffolk Libraries to find the county’s favourite children’s book. People of all ages were asked to name their favourite title to enter the competition for the first Suffolk Libraries Children’s Month](/childrens-month/) in April.
There were over 600 entries and the lucky winner was 18-month-old Sienna, who selected Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg as her favourite children’s book.
Sienna won an iPad for her and her family to enjoy. Several libraries in Suffolk now lend iPads, which can be used to access library eBooks and other eLibrary services: eAudiobooks, digital music, magazines and newspapers.
Competition winner Sienna with her favourite book, Each Peach Pear Plum
Sienna’s mother, Heidi Howard-Griffin, is a frequent user of Broomhill Library. When asked about why she selected this children’s book as her favourite, she said: “My mother always told me that Each Peach Pear Plum was one of our family favourites, so I have read it endlessly to both my daughters, most recently Sienna.
“She loves playing peekaboo and any book that starts with the words “In this book, with your little eye, take a look, and play ‘I spy’” was going to have her attention. The illustration of the story is beautiful and she loves finding all the different animals and characters on every page. We read it almost every night.”
Broomhill Library staff were also thrilled when the prize winner was announced. Library manager David Cook said they were: “naturally delighted that one of our regular customers won the iPad. The staff here were very enthusiastic and proactive, promoting the competition to almost every parent who visited during April. We think that the idea of Children’s Month is brilliant.”
James Powell, one of the organisers of the Children’s Month campaign, said: “We’re really pleased with the response from our first Children’s Month campaign. There is strong evidence that reading for pleasure can have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and educational achievement. The earlier they are introduced to books and start to learn to read, the earlier they will develop literacy skills and a love of reading.
“Libraries have a huge role to play, particularly for families who are less likely to be able to afford books. We’ve made libraries even more accessible to families by removing fines for overdue children’s books. Anyone can get a library card for free and it’s never too early to get one.”
Heidi also said: “What a fantastic competition and way of getting people to think about some of their favourite stories and sharing these with other library members. It was a great way to get people engaged with their local library and promote reading with children.”
Watch this space as we’ll soon be revealing Suffolk’s favourite children’s book.