A popular children’s illustrator and author has been in Newtown encouraging primary school pupils to join their local library.
Tony Ross, famous for illustrating the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon, was at Newtown Library to encourage Year 4 pupils to join their local library as part of the Welsh Government’s ‘Every Child a Library Member’ (ECALM) campaign.
Tony, who also illustrated the Paula Danziger’s Amber Brown series, the Dr Xargle series by Jeanne Willis and the Harry the Poisonous Centipede series by Lynne Reid Banks, shared his artistic skills with the nine-year-old pupils from Caersws, Dafydd Llwyd, Hafren, Llandinam, Penygloddfa, St Mary’s and Treowen primary schools.
Powys County Council’s Library Service is working closely with schools and parents and encouraging them to fill in their membership forms and signing the children to join their local library as part of the ECLAM campaign.
Cllr Graham Brown, Cabinet Member for Library Services, said: “Raising literacy standards across Wales is seen as a priority in education and we hope that parents can see the valuable supportive contribution libraries can make to their children’s education.
“Libraries can offer and safe and positive learning environment for them to use and all for free.”
“The campaign aims to raise awareness of libraries and what they have to offer. The best way to do that is to engage with children at an early age when reading is an important aspect of their learning development,” said Tony Ross.
Caption: Pupils from Penygloddfa and Treowen primary schools are joined by children's illustrator and author Tony Ross, with Newtown Librarian Assistant, Trish Thomas.
