Bookstart Baby Packs

Bookstart, a national charity, which is overseen by Bradford District’s Library Service, is a national scheme delivering book packs to children in the early years.

Research has shown that reading to your baby helps their brain and language to develop.  As you read to your baby, they tune in to the rhythm and the rise and fall of your voice. When you show them a picture and give the image a name, they begin to make the connection between what you say and the picture, helping them to first understand words and later speak to them. 

The Bookstart Baby Pack is for all children aged 0 to 12 months. It contains an engaging book, colourful finger puppet and a parental guidance booklet.

In Bradford, the Registrars hand out the packs provided by the BookTrust charity to each child at the birth registration appointment. This takes place in both Bradford and Keighley Register Offices. Your child will also become a library member with their own library card. There are no fines on books if they are returned late.

If your baby was born outside Bradford, and hasn’t already received a pack, you can pick up a Baby Pack from any of our libraries. 

There are also story and rhyme times in all our libraries, which are free, fun and an opportunity to meet other parents.

If a picture book with dual text, English and one of over 30 languages, would be helpful, please ask at your local library, and we will deliver one for you to pick up at that library.

Families, who have not received a pack through the Register Office, that would like to collect a Bookstart Baby Pack, should check our list of libraries for contact details and further information about their local library service.