Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson toasts Bookstart's 20th birthday

20 June 2012

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall and Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson celebrate 20 years of Bookstart at Kensington Roof Gardens with celebrity supporters, authors and illustrators

Leading names from the children's book world turned out in force to celebrate 20 years of Bookstart with Booktrust's patron Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall during National Bookstart Week. The special event, which took place at the Kensington Roof Gardens on 13 June, also attracted 20 of our celebrity supporters including Cerys Matthews, Baroness Floella Benjamin and Lauren Laverne. And Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson raised a toast to 20 years of Bookstart, read out a poem that she had written specially for the occasion, whilst HRH cut a huge Bookstart 20 cake. Authors and illustrators attending the event included Shirley Hughes, David Almond, Malorie Blackman and Axel Scheffler.

Thirty five children from a Children's Centre and a local school took part in a Bookstart-themed party and were read to by HRH, who chose Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd. They all joined in the singing of Happy Birthday to Bookstart at the end of the afternoon, when the toast was raised and the cake cut by HRH. The youngest guest was the six month old son of children's television presenter Rani Price, who took being introduced to HRH in his stride. Lauren Laverne read Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler's Charlie Book's Favourite Book to the children.

Bookstart founder Wendy Cooling and founding librarians from the Birmingham Library Service were also at the event and were amongst small groups of people who were introduced to HRH, along with supporters of Booktrust and publishers who have been involved since the programme was set up. Booktrust's Chief Executive, Viv Bird, gave a rousing speech thanking all those involved in making Bookstart the success it is over 20 years and looking to the future.

Remember, you can still pledge your support for Bookstart 20 here and win books

Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson made a toast to Bookstart at the event, in the form of a poem written especially for the occasion:

Happy Birthday dear Bookstart. You're 20 years old
And you've handed out millions of books, I've been told.
So I'm making the pledge and I'm planning to share
A score of my favourite books - like Jane Eyre,
A Hound of the Baskervilles, Dogger, Dear Zoo,
The Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh,
Anne of Green Gables, The Call of the Wild,
The Horse and His Boy and The Mouse and His Child,
Mister Magnolia, Ms Wiz, Mr Gum,
Junk and Just William and Each, Peach, Pear, Plum,
Wolves, Noughts and Crosses, Oliver Twist,
And Stig of the Dump. That's the end of the list.
So please raise your teacups and let's give three cheers
For Bookstart, the pledge, and the next 20 years.

Kensington Roof Gardens provided a wonderful backdrop to our Bookstart 20 celebration event

Placards showed exactly what Bookstart means to families

Lighting the candles on the Bookstart cake

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall shares Hairy McClary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd with children from Herbert Morrison Primary School and Golborne Children's Centre.