National Simultaneous Storytime going Virtual in 2020!

This year National Simultaneous Storytime is celebrating its 20th anniversary with Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas, written and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford, inviting children nation-wide to read together on Wednesday 27 May 2020 at 11.00 am.

The annual event brings the nation together to celebrate and encourage reading and literacy; each year a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

Big Sky Libraries Manager, Sally Walters, is excited to celebrate the 20th year of National Simultaneous Storytime and let the public know how they can be involved this year too.

“Unfortunately under COVID-19 restrictions Big Sky Libraries branches will not be hosting a reading session of Chicken Divas, however we encourage everyone to participate by registering online where they will receive a variety of electronic materials to support their National Simultaneous Storytime event”, Mrs Walters said.

“It doesn’t matter if you are celebrating at home or at school, children can participate by reading along with their own copy of the book or watching a reading of the book on Story Box Library or live on Facebook with guest storyteller Australia’s Governor-General Sir David Hurley and Lady Hurley.

“Members of Big Sky Libraries have free access to Story Box Library through our website, where they can watch Emma Watkins from the Wiggles read for National Simultaneous Storytime”, Mrs Walters concluded.

To register your participation in this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime go to the Australian Library and Information Association’s website and select ‘register here’: https://www.alia.org.au/nss.

To watch Emma the Wiggle read Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas visit the ‘COLLECTIONS’ tab on the Big Sky Libraries website .