We’re collaborating with Book Dash to ensure every child owns a hundred books by the age of five

“Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five.” 

With extensive research into the benefits of reading, and from a young age too, we know that encouraging children to sit down, switch off the TV, and open a book, can have a significant impact on their early childhood development.

From feeding their imagination and creating brand new realities, to extending their vocabulary to include words they otherwise wouldn’t have known, reading can completely change the way they see the world.

So Book Dash, a non-profit children’s book publisher, believes – and we do too – “every child should own a hundred books by the age of five”. 

Here’s how they do it 

Studies have shown that 64% of children in South Africa are living in poverty without books in their home, while literacy rates have dropped significantly. This, even though the National Literacy Trust says, children who have a book of their own are 15 times more likely to read above their level for their age. So Book Dash, with the help of volunteer creatives, are cutting out the lengthy process and exorbitant costs involved in publishing a book from beginning to end. 

To produce a book, in just one day, a team of one writer, one illustrator and one designer are put together (you can apply to be part of the volunteer team here: Get involved) and given 12 hours free reign to create. Expert art directors, editors and technical support are on standby too, ensuring teams produce quality reading resources.   

The best part though? The stories are set in our local South Africa – kids will love how much they can relate to Sima, Nkanyezi and Tig – and written in a variety of our official languages. 

We’re joining in 

We’re getting involved and spreading the love with our new Storytime hub.  

• Scroll to the top of our screen. 
• When you’re on our green nav-bar, click on the last tab: Storytime. 

You’ll find a variety of Book Dash stories for children – some will be PDFs to read, while others come in the form of audio books and videos – all in one place, making it easily accessible for parents.

The stories are short, sweet and visually appealing - the perfect bedtime read, and now, they’re just a click away...

Click on the image above and visit our Storytime hub.

Chat back

Tell us, what is your child's favourite story to read at bedtime?