There was delight for young book lovers at Green Park Day Nursery in Reading as they were paid a special visit by local children’s author, Gemma Stone.
At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on South Oak Way, pre-school children listened intently as Gemma read from her latest book, ‘The Man Who Hung the Moon’.
The heartwarming story tells the tale of a father sharing an extraordinary adventure with his child. Filled with near disasters, starry escapades and dreams stitched just for them, the book celebrates the quiet magic of a father’s love and memories made along the way.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the interactive session and were eager to learn more about the process of creating a book. They asked lots of thoughtful questions, including, “Who made the book?” and “Who drew the pictures?” Gemma has also written two other children’s books, ‘Herb, Fox and Duck’ and ‘The Late Christmas Wish’.
‘The Man Who Hung the Moon’ holds special significance for the author, having been inspired by her father, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and sadly passed away in January. Following the reading session, families were invited to purchase copies of the book for £5 each, with all proceeds being donated to Prostate Cancer UK in his memory.
Green Park Deputy Manager, Grace Critcher explained;
“We were delighted to welcome Gemma to the nursery and share such a special story with our children. Reading plays an important role in early years development, and opportunities to meet authors help bring stories to life in a truly memorable way. The children were fascinated by the book and thoroughly enjoyed asking Gemma questions about how it was created. We are also proud to support such a worthwhile cause in memory of her father.”
The visit formed part of Green Park Day Nursery’s ongoing commitment to fostering a love of reading and storytelling from an early age. Through experiences such as author visits, children are encouraged to develop their imagination, language skills and enthusiasm for books in a fun and engaging way.
