Redbridge Libraries brought imagination to life on Friday 6 March as more than 100 children from local primary schools gathered at Fullwell Cross Library for a special Storytime and craft celebration to mark World Book Day – part of the national Go All In campaign for the Year of Reading.
As a proud partner in the Year of Reading initiative led by the Department for Education, Redbridge Libraries joined hundreds of organisations nationwide in championing reading and inspiring families and adults to reconnect with books.
The event featured an engaging storytelling session from acclaimed professional storyteller Jane Grell, whose unique and animated style sparked imagination among Reception-aged children. Through storytelling, craft and shared reading experiences, the event celebrated the powerful role books play in helping children connect, learn, move, create and relax.
Community Leaders Champion the Joy of Reading
The Leader of the Council, Kam Rai, and Wes Streeting MP also attended the celebration, reading aloud from beloved children’s classics including The Gruffalo.
The event took place in the recently refurbished children’s library, now home to a vibrant forest-themed window installation celebrating the much-loved children’s book The Gruffalo. Vision Redbridge secured permission for the artwork from Macmillan Children’s Books, alongside author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, who were all very happy to support the project and also donated a copy of the Gruffalo for each child who attended today.
The woodland theme connects families beyond the library walls, encouraging visits to treasured local green spaces including Hainault Forest and Fairlop Waters – reinforcing the link between literacy, wellbeing and outdoor exploration.
Addressing the National Reading Challenge
Redbridge Libraries continue to lead the way as one of London’s best-performing library services, welcoming over 1.4 million visitors and over 1.3 million books borrowed. This comes at a crucial time, as national data shows daily reading among young people aged 8–18 has fallen to 18.7% in 2025 – a 20-percentage point decline since 2005.
Chair of Vision Trustees, Martin Solder said:
“Reading expands minds, builds confidence and fuels creativity. At Redbridge Libraries, we are committed to creating welcoming, inspiring spaces where children and families can connect through stories. Through events like this, we’re not only celebrating books – but we’re also strengthening community wellbeing.”
Throughout the year, Redbridge Libraries host a wide range of reading groups, craft workshops and family-friendly and adult activities designed to bring more local people into libraries and nurture a lifelong love of learning.
Councillor Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council said,
“We value Redbridge’s many libraries as much as we know you do, so it’s a delight to see so many children and families here on World Book Day, listening to stories and finding entertaining and educational books to read.“We have 11 libraries in Redbridge, and despite being underfunded for 14 years, we have keep them all open. You are never very far from a library in our borough, and each one runs craft sessions, clubs and story time sessions for children, so do pop along and enjoy them.”
Discover More
To find out more about the Year of Reading – Go All In campaign and upcoming events, visit our dedicated webpage and join us in reconnecting our community through the power of reading.
