By Pamela Butchart

 

I don’t believe I’d be where I am today if it wasn’t for the books I read when I was wee. Those books transformed me and my life and took me on a journey far beyond the stories on their pages.

They gave me comfort, widened my understanding of the world around me, grew my imagination and gave me the ability to believe that anything is possible – even becoming a children’s author and writing my own stories.

It all started with Mog.

Mog and the Baby by Judith Kerr was the first book I chose myself and to this day it’s still my favourite book of all time.

I will never forget the impact that book had on me.

Growing up, no-one in my household read and I could very easily have never become a reader.

But luckily I did.

My love of reading started in the Wellgate Library in Dundee. The library was a free and child-friendly space, so my mum took me there one day when we were out in town.

And that’s where I found Mog.

I loved the library as a wee one (and still do). I couldn’t believe I was allowed to take out not just one book but 10 books!

I was so excited to go back every weekend and I didn’t have to worry about asking my mum for money because it was free.

That’s why libraries are so essential – for many children it’s the only way they can access as many books as they would like. That’s the magic of libraries.

As a child growing up in a council tenement in a deprived area of Dundee I didn’t know much about the world outside my little bubble and didn’t go many places. But the books I read took me places in my head, widened my experience and stretched my imagination in ways I will be eternally grateful for.

I remember being given my very own copy of Mog. I didn’t have to give it back to the library. I could write my name on the inside cover. It was mine.

It meant I could spend time with Mog whenever I liked. She could make me laugh when I needed it and I would be pulled into her world simply by sitting down and opening the pages. I was in love.

I used to gaze at the pictures for hours. I’ve always loved the illustration of the baby eating Mog’s fish. It leaves a big bite and I so keenly remember tracing the perfect round teeth marks with my finger hundreds of times, over and over. It always made me happy.

I was also drawn to the hilarious illustration of Mog tucked up tight in a pram with her little bonnet on, looking horrified. Judith Kerr had such an amazing ability to show the character’s emotions in her illustrations.

Owning the book meant I could go back to the pictures whenever I wanted – I didn’t need to go anywhere to get it or need an adult’s help to access it. The book was mine and I could look at it at any time I felt like it.

For a child who maybe only owns one book and lives in a house in which there aren’t many or even any other books, that feeling can be really empowering.

If your mum, dad or carers don’t read or you don’t have a lot of money, books can feel like they’re not for you, that they’re for people who are posh or have loads of money, so owning your own book becomes massive.

That’s why it’s so great that Scottish Book Trust has launched a campaign this Christmas to raise funds to spread the joy of reading to children who may not have access to books. As the cost-of-living crisis escalates, more children will go without, and they need our support.

The campaign aims to ensure everyone in Scotland has equal access to books.

There are plenty of statistics that prove the importance of reading when it comes to a child’s development and future prospects. But for me, one figure stands out.

Scottish Book Trust found that 85% of parents from Scotland’s most deprived areas said that reading helps them bond with their child and makes their child happy.

In these difficult times when the poorest families are facing real hardship, giving the gift of bonding and happiness to children and their families is vital.

My little boy Albie (who’s four) loves bedtime stories.

The best part of our day is after bath time when he picks his books and he and I get into his bed and cuddle up and read. He looks forward to it and I look forward to it. It’s time just for us at the end of an often busy day.

If we don’t do books for some reason, I really miss it.

Life is busy and hard and carving out those peaceful moments just for you and your wee one is invaluable. The world stops – and if it wasn’t for books that probably wouldn’t always happen. It’s so special.

During book time, day or night, your child has your complete focus – it’s just you and them and the story.

Happiness, bonding and development are all huge benefits of books for children, but in these tough times they can also bring comfort and laughter.

Books gave me real comfort as a child, and they still do. I’ll often re-read books I read as a child because they comfort me.

Recently a couple of teenagers visited me to have their books signed and both said they’d re-read my Izzy books over lockdown even though they were older because they found it comforting.

It was lovely to know my books were doing the same thing that other writers’ books had done for me as a child.

I also believe in the power of funny books. They’re important just for the ability to make you laugh and to entertain you. Things can be so heavy just now and children feel that too, obviously.

Funny books are usually accessible for more children, too. I remember finding that the characters and stories in these books most reflected my life in a working-class family growing up in a council tenement and it made me feel good to see something that looked a bit like my life in a book.

I truly hope that as many children as possible this Christmas are able to access books through Scottish Book Trust’s campaign or their local library and can experience the same magic I did.

If they do, it will stay with them for ever.

Working with Scottish Book Trust, The Herald is asking you, our readers, to donate money to help buy books for children whose families are using food banks this winter. See scottishbooktrust.com to help.