I’ve been reading to my children in the name of a superb cause. That cause is the Storytellers campaign, a joint initiative between Sainsbury’s supermarket and the charity Save the Children.
The aim of the campaign is to promote childhood literacy. Too many children in the UK leave primary school unable to read as well as they should. We all know this disproportionately affects children from deprived backgrounds and has an impact on their future life chances.
How does the campaign work? You may remember from your younger days the storybook character Mog the cat, who was the invention of children’s author Judith Kerr.
Kerr has revived the character in a new book called Mog’s Christmas Calamity. Profits from the sale of the book in Sainsbury’s will be donated to Save the Children. This equates to at least £2 per book sold. These funds will be used to support Save the Children’s child literacy work in the UK and the national Read On. Get On campaign.
I was approached and asked if I would record a video of myself reading the book to my kids. I was only too happy to oblige and you can watch the recording by clicking on the video above.
Only Elizabeth, my youngest daughter, was available at the time. We had to go ahead and shoot the film without her older sister but, as you will see, many of my kids’ cuddly toys decided they also wanted to be filmed! I hope you will find the recording suitably adorable. I should add the book has been a big hit with both children.
If you wish, you can get involved in the campaign yourself. You can find out more by following this link to the Sainsbury’s website. In the meantime I shall leave you to enjoy the video.
17 thoughts on “Storytellers; Sainsbury’s childhood literacy campaign”
How adorable! I love Mog and I’m sure this will be a very popular book this Christmas.
I suspect you’re correct Sisley, I think this will be a popular title.
Oh my god this is the sweetest video ever, nothing is cuter than a dad reading to their child!
Elizabeth is a pretty good snowman spotter! haha
I love this book and equally the advert, it’s a wonderful cause to raise money for.
Thanks Georgia, what a wonderful comment to leave! Very kind words indeed. Glad you like the cause. It is a great one to support.
Great campaign and a favourite old book of ours too #Sharewithme
It’s a marvellous campaign. I’m delighted to have been asked to back it.
What a great cause to get behind and what a terrific book. I remember Mog from many MANY years ago. I find reading with my boy is the easiest way to spend quiet bonding time with him and I hope he’ll let me read to him until he moves out of home (only joking, kind of!) Reading at home makes all the difference to literacy. Well done for getting involved! #coolmumclub
Bonding with the kids over a book is just out of this world.
YES Mog the cat! We have a battered copy which I read our little sprout. Didn’t know there was a new book out will have to track that down. Thanks so much for linking up to #coolmumclub honorary mum John!
A pleasure to link up. Glad you like Mog!
We have the book too and my mummy has some older ones too! Such a great read 🙂 Love what Sainsbury’s have done this year! #BrilliantBlogPosts
I hope mummy reads them all to you! Thanks for commenting.
This little gem is already wrapped for dangermouses stocking…Thanks for sharing the backstory (which I didn’t know btw) with #coolmumclub
Oh really? That’s wonderful to hear. Sure it’ll get a great response.
Looks like a really fun book, such a great campaign 🙂
Super campaign!
Such a lovely time to spend with kids reading to them for great causes and education at the same time as quality time well worth every sentence. Lovely post. Thank you ever so much for linking up to SWM and the amazing linky/blog support last year. It means the world to me that people come back again and again to share their amazing blogs. I hope this year is no different. It’s great to get to know more blogs and I love reading each post every week and sharing them. You have such a great blog here. I wish you a huge happy new year!!! #sharewithme