Canberra, 3 May:
On 25 May 2022, over 1 million children across Australia and New Zealand will join together reading the same book at the same time, as part of the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) 2022.
“Now in its 22nd big year, almost 2 million readers participated last year in this important annual reading campaign that fosters a sense of community, fun and excitement around reading,” says ALIA President Vicki Edmunds.
This year’s title is Family Tree written by award winning Australian singer-songwriter and children’s book author Josh Pyke, renowned for his unique and wonderful storytelling and lyricism and beautifully illustrated by picture book creator Ronojoy Ghosh, published by Scholastic Australia specifically for the event.
‘Family Tree is such a special book to me. The last couple of years has really highlighted the importance and value of community and family, no matter what that family looks like. When I look at my children, in my mind, I see a map with lines drawn from Vietnam, Britain, America and Denmark, all leading to our home in Australia. Diversity and access to different stories, different experiences and backgrounds, is what makes for a robust and accepting family. I imagine my kids exploring the world, and sharing their own stories, whilst always knowing their roots are strong back home,’ Josh Pyke said.
This gorgeous children’s picture book is about family, belonging, community and love and will be read by Josh Pyke live via Facebook from the National Library of Australia in Canberra at 11am AEST on 25 May 2022.
ALIA is also delighted to have VIP Guest Readers the Governor General of Australia, David Hurley and his wife Mrs Hurley and Australian Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang, take part in this year’s Storytime.
National Simultaneous Storytime 2022 is supported by Scholastic Australia, Scholastic New Zealand, Lianza, Cleverpatch and Learn From Play.
Join in the fun! It’s not too late to register for this free reading event. More information can be found on the ALIA website: https://www.alia.org.au/nss
For interview opportunities, including review copy requests and images, please contact:
Media Contacts:
Sharon Turner, Sharon Turner Communications and Publicity Manager Scholastic Australia M: 0413 944 005 | E: [email protected]
Jackie Evans, Director Jackie Evans Publicity M: 0407 776 222 | E: [email protected]
About Josh Pyke Josh Pyke is a successful and much-loved Australian singer/songwriter, renowned for his unique and wonderful storytelling and lyricism. Josh has created many bestselling albums, won four ARIA awards, and has also written several stories for children. He is a lifelong ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
About National Simultaneous Storytime National Simultaneous Storytime is an important annual campaign that aims to encourage young children to read and enjoy books as well as teach them the value of literacy. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around Australia, New Zealand and the world.
About Scholastic Scholastic has been the market leader of Australian children’s publishing for over 50 years, bringing the joy of reading to multiple generations of Australian families. Scholastic operates on a unique model, proudly partnering with both Australian schools and major retailers. You can find Scholastic products in Book Club, Book Fairs, the classroom, and retail chains and independent booksellers. Scholastic believes that all children should have regular access to quality, affordable books that they have chosen for themselves. Reading ignites a spark of adventure that a child can carry within their heart well into their adult life. Scholastic hopes to light this spark within every child.