Little Red Riding Hood, Hugless Douglas the bear, the Rainbow Fish, the whole fire brigade from The Fire Engine No.9, and many Elsa's from Disney's Frozen all made an appearance at BCIS' Early Childhood Center (ECC) World Character Book Day parades this week. The global event helps to encourage young readers, engaging them with literature and the benefits reading brings to us all. Book Character Day falls under the comprehensive approach employed to promote early childhood reading at the ECC. In the classroom, teachers have access to specially prepared book toy boxes full of props and toys related to the book they are reading, which can be used to add a physical, tangible element to reading and acting out a story. The ECC Library is purpose-built for early childhood readers. The bookshelves, seating and layout are all made to measure for ECC students, creating a warm and welcoming environment encouraging students to explore the library and the books on offer. Our ECC Librarian, Suzanne McKemey, also holds new parent library workshops to help parents foster a positive reading environment at home, offering English and Chinese language books to allow all members of the family to read with the child. These approaches, coupled with our play-based learning curriculum, encourage students to discover the wonders of reading and the benefits it brings for cognitive development, conversational skills, self-expression and much much more.