AUTHOR and illustrator Marta Altés is to give free books to P1 children to encourage them to enjoy reading from their earliest years.
Ms Altés is due to visit St Joseph's PS in Carryduff today where BookTrust will announce it will gift 25,000 copies of her book Little Monkey.
Pupils will also receive Time to Read packs which include tips and advice for parents and carers.
To help celebrate the book distribution, a tour supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland will see Ms Altés visit four schools to run reading and craft workshops, designed to inspire, engage and help create the authors and illustrators of the future.
The schools include Millennium Integrated PS in Saintfield, Moorfields PS in Ballymena and Parkhall PS in Antrim.
Her two-day visit is the first in a series planned for this year
"One of my favourite parts about my work is getting to visit the children and watch their creativity grow," Ms Altés said.
"It's incredible that my book will be in so many homes around Northern Ireland, and I hope that Little Monkey and her adventures in the jungle not only inspire a love of reading but also remind children that even when you're small you can do amazing things."
Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council, said the initiative would inspire young readers "as they set off on their own journeys discovering new characters, places, stories and ideas".
"Access to books is something which we know supports all aspects of a child’s development," he said.
