Dad’s bedtime stories inspired my love of reading – it’s vital you give the same gift to your kids, says David Walliams
SOME of my fondest memories of my dad are of him reading Green Eggs And Ham by Dr Seuss to me as I lay on his chest when I was very young.
When I was lucky enough to be a father, I thought it was lovely to carry on the tradition and read to my son too.
As you can imagine, I would put on lots of voices when I read to my boy Alfred, who is now ten.
I loved it, probably more than he did!
Books are incredibly powerful.
They can make you cry or laugh and change the way you think or feel about the world.
Read More on Showbiz
It is vitally important that all children experience the joy of bedtime stories from a very early age.
But a survey by BookTrust reveals only half of British children aged between one and two from low-income families are read to every day.
And last year, fewer than half of children aged eight to 18 said they read for pleasure.
For that reason, I fully support the campaign by fellow authors Sir Michael Morpurgo and Malorie Blackman calling for more investment in getting our children to read.
Most read in Celebrity
One in five primary schools doesn’t have a library at all, and if I had a magic wand I would make sure every school had at least 100 books on some shelves, somewhere.
I have paid for a few schools to have libraries but, sadly, I can’t do it for every school — there are currently thousands of schools without libraries.
As a family, we didn’t have many books in the house when I was young.
Instead we went to the library every two weeks to pick three books.
Sometimes I would also take out an album on cassette.
It was always the Queen soundtrack to the film Flash Gordon.
At first I would borrow books about pirates, space travel or dinosaurs, but as I got older I discovered the joy of reading novels.
Universe of magic
For many people, books are a luxury — but young children are happy to hear the same story again, so you only need two or three books in the house to get started.
If you find books expensive, then there is always a good selection in charity shops.
You may find you have friends with books they are happy to share or pass on, or you can find all of mine in bargain bins!
I also appreciate that a lot of parents have incredibly busy lives, working hard and not getting home until late.
But a picture book only takes five or ten minutes to read to your child.
Try to get into a routine with it, so your child will look forward to it at bedtime. It should be a joy for both of you.
One of the best parts of my childhood was drifting off to sleep while having my dad read Dr Seuss to me.
I would dream of The Grinch or The Lorax or The Cat In The Hat, and they bled into my imagination.
Any parent will tell you there are lots of distractions for children — if you let them go on a PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, they never say, “Oh, I have had enough now”.
It is so easy to hand your child your phone in order to keep them distracted while you are busy.
As you can imagine, I would put on lots of voices when I read to my son Alfred.
David Walliams
There is no shame in it, but you don’t want screens to replace books altogether.
One way to make reading fun is to ask questions as you go along, such as, “Where is the cat hidden in the picture?” or, “Why do you think all the animals were scared of the mouse in The Gruffalo?”.
As they get older, the hope is your children will read books by themselves.
The pleasure of seeing your child reading on their own and chuckling away, or finishing a chapter and telling you excitedly, “You’ll never guess what happened”, is wonderful.
You shouldn’t worry too much about the types of books they are reading at certain ages.
It’s mightily impressive when you meet a child who has read Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, at the age of ten.
But anything that sets a child on the path to reading is good.
For me it was the Beano comic, which is always hilarious and still going strong.
I’m sure the Beano has created millions of readers over the years. I am one.
If children don’t read at all, they will miss out on a universe of knowledge, magic and fantasy.
On the right are some of my favourite books for children by age group . . .
Age 0 - 2
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
A BRILLIANT first book because it is very interactive, with holes in the pages that children can put their fingers through.
Mog The Forgetful Cat, by Judith Kerr
ONE of a series of cat books, loved by children and grown-ups.
Green Eggs And Ham by Dr Seuss
KIDS will love the rhymes in the text and the surreal illustrations.
Age 3 - 6
The Storm Whale, by Benji Davies
RICHLY illustrated story about a boy who finds a whale washed up on the beach and ends up keeping it in his bath until his dad finds out.
Julian Is A Mermaid, by Jessica Love
WONDERFUL story about a boy who dresses as a mermaid and thinks his granny will be shocked, but she celebrates it.
The illustrations are gorgeous.
Age 7 - 10
Bunny Vs Monkey, by Jamie Smart
VERY funny comic book series, full of pictures that make them perfect for a reluctant reader.
Finding Bear, by Hannah Gold
EPIC story of love and survival against the odds.
Amari And The Night Brothers, by BB Alston
SUPERNATURAL adventure series that feeds the imagination.
Age 10 plus
Lottie Brooks’s Totally Disastrous School Trip, by Katie Kirby
HILARIOUS diary format series, perfect for kids who don’t want to read long chapters.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
FANTASY series about an ordinary boy with dyslexia and ADHD who finds out he is a demigod.
If your child likes superheroes, they will love this.
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, by CS Lewis
READ MORE SUN STORIES
THE template for so many fantasy novels, even Harry Potter.
Sometimes the classics are a good place to start.
