When I was young, my parents used to do their monthly grocery shopping at a local supermarket in Johannesburg, where I was born. My mom would take my brothers, my sister and I along and we would take turns pushing the trolley (or cart, as it is known in Canada). After the ‘boring’ sections were done (produce, detergents…) we came to the fun sections. Sweets, toys and books!   

My parents had four kids. Four. Two girls and two boys. So instead of toys, they encouraged us to choose a book, which was far better than a toy as one book entertained all of us, and we could enjoy it over and over again. 

Amongst my favorite were the Ladybird books. Sometimes we would pick a classic fairy tale, and other times we chose titles like ‘Smoke and Fluff’ and ‘The Magic Porridge Pot’. Seeing a vintage Ladybird book edition now, with its familiar cover, stirs up nostalgic feelings of happiness, sharing, laughter, and of course tracing my fingertips over all the miniature characters on the beautifully illustrated inside covers. 

A book is still one of the best gifts you can give to a child. It has the power to ignite the imagination or teach something important. It introduces children to new ideas and builds knowledge of the world around them. As they learn about different places, people and things, they learn to see the world from other perspectives. Whether the stories are fiction or non-fiction, there are a wide variety of concepts and ideas to be learned. 

It must have been tough for my parents to raise four children, making sure that all our needs were met and still managing to squeeze in some extras. I am forever grateful for the monthly story books from the supermarket as they provided more than just entertainment; they offered knowledge, imagination, and a love for reading that will last a lifetime.