'Shh! We have a plan!' That was the mystery book title that children uncovered along Derby’s Reading Trail. 

Families with children aged 0-7 were encouraged to stop by Derby Market Hall to pick up a colourful reading map and then head into the city, looking for letters to spell out a mystery book title.
 
The trail wound its way along Sadler Gate, with local businesses joining in by displaying the bright, animal-themed clues leading to Derby Museum & Art Gallery. Here, children were treated to a whole range of stalls and activities for the whole family, and were able to collect their final letter, completing the title of the popular book by Chris Haughton. 

This beautifully illustrated picture book contains fewer than 100 words, making it particularly accessible while offering rich opportunities for children to develop their communication, language and literacy skills. The minimal text means that the illustrations carry much of the narrative, making the book accessible to families who may not speak English as their first language.

Children and families can use the pictures to create and tell their own versions of the story, without needing to rely only on the written text.

Inspired by the beautiful bird illustrations featured throughout the book, a ‘Derby City Bird’ was created by the illustrator Mr Beef, who worked closely with the Early Years Quality Improvement Team to bring their vision to life. The design reflected the team’s key criteria of joy, fun and excitement to inspire and encourage a love of reading for all ages. 

The Derby City Bird quickly became a key feature of the trail, providing children and families with an exciting character to spot and search for as they explored the different locations. 

Partners including the Derby Promise, Derby Book Festival, Derby Museum & Art Gallery, the Cathedral Quarter and St Peter's Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Family Hubs, Derby Libraries, the National Year of Reading and local children’s authors worked together to deliver the reading trail as part of a shared ambition to inspire young children and their families to enjoy books together and improve reading outcomes in the city for young and older children. 

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills said:

Reading from a young age is incredibly important, sparking children’s natural curiosity. Before they can read words, children can explore pictures, interpret what they see and begin developing their communication and language skills, creating stories of their own. It can also turn a normal day into one full of imagination and adventure!

The event celebrated this powerful aspect of reading — the joy of getting lost in a story, sharing ideas, creating our own adventures and discovering the possibilities that books can offer.

This is another great example of partners across the city coming together to support our young learners. Together, they’ve created an opportunity for children and families to experience the joy of books beyond the pages and celebrate the important role that reading, stories and imagination play in children’s early development.

The trail proved to be a big hit, with families from across the city and neighbouring counties taking part. Describing the event as ‘fantastic’, one parent spoke of how much her daughter had loved making some binoculars to use on the trail, while another added:

We’ve been in the Market Hall for over three hours exploring all the different activities. It’s great to bring families together and hold such a nice reading day!

Children all the way from nursery age through to teenagers came to enjoy the multi-generational and SEND-friendly event. A visitor who’d brought her three and six-year old grandchildren along said she:

I can't believe how many free books my granddaughters received. Both have loved listening to the authors and finding the letters on the trail leading us to the museum.

Many families also took the chance to sign up for library memberships and Family Hubs services, while others enjoyed the creative activities available in the Market Hall and Derby Museum. 
 
For information about the Derby Promise, and the support and full calendar of events it provides, visit the Derby Promise website.