Reading doesn’t begin with school. It begins with a voice and a child — a shared giggle, a quiet cuddle, the magic of “read it again.” As the National Year of Reading 2026 unfolds, we’re not just turning pages — we’re turning up the joy.

Every parent remembers their child’s first word. Some say “Mum”, some say “Dad” – our son said “digger”. In this post I show how those early obsessions with diggers, fire engines and other machines can become the raw material for a bedtime story picture book. From emotional arcs and page plans to onomatopoeia and illustration, here’s how to turn one small word into a full 32-page goodnight story.