Taken from the blog 'things to do with toddlers in London'... 

This is advice for those who live in the UK and are unaware of the Bookstart programme...

Okay, this isn't really something 'to do' as such, but [b]it is such a great initiative and no-one

seems to tell anyone about it!

The Bookstart programme gives a FREE [/b]pack of books to EVERY baby. It's as simple as that. And when your child is 18 months old, they get another FREE pack. AND, when they are 3 years old, they get another FREE pack.

Why isn't there more education and knowledge about this? I knew about it through a friend who had a baby, who found out through their friend. It drives me crazy that not more people know about it. When my daughter was having her 9 month check up (which seems to be an Ealing thing, not an 'everywhere' thing?) I was given a pack, but, not everyone at the same clinic was even informed of Bookstart. It seemed to depend on which health visitor saw your baby. Aargh!

Enough ranting and raving, and soapbox building... more about Bookstart and how to get these books.... click here to read the rest of the article....