Pre-school children and their parents or carers, can help celebrate National Bookstart Week 2014 by taking part in a Hero Hunt and enjoying special story and rhyme times in Wiltshire libraries.

Every parent is a hero to their children, but even heroes need a helping hand to hone their skills. That’s why this June, Booktrust is calling for all parents and carers in Wiltshire to don their superhero masks, reveal their secret powers and go to the library with their children.

A special version of Harper Collins’ Super Duck, by children’s author Jez Alborough, will be a free gift for children who take part. This lively story follows heroic Super Duck as he strives to rescue his friend Frog from an unplanned flight on a wayward kite.

There will be a number of free events planned for the week June 9 to 15, including:

• Baby time at Devizes Library with rhymes, songs, stories and sing and sign sessions on Thursday, June 12, from 10am to noon.

• The launch of the Bear Club Challenge at Salisbury Library on Thursday, June 12. From 11am to 11.30am children can make a super-hero mask just like Super Duck and help to find the missing frog.

Coun Jonathon Seed, cabinet member for libraries, said: “National Bookstart week is a wonderful celebration of the importance of sharing books with children from a very young age.

"We hope to see lots of families in our libraries during this week celebrating with us.”

Families can join the fun and meet other heroes, by attending these or one of the many other events in libraries, nurseries, children’s centres and bookshops.

More details can be found at www.bookstart.org.uk

National Bookstart Week is an annual celebration of Bookstart, the flagship reading programme from national charity, Booktrust. Bookstart aims to help every child in England, Wales and Northern Ireland develop a lifelong love of reading that will give them a flying start in life through gifting free books to every child.

This year’s week runs from June 9 to 15 and will see millions of families across the UK coming together to discover stories, rhymes and reading.

Viv Bird, chief executive of Booktrust, said: “All the research shows that reading together strengthens family bonds and helps children do better at school, whatever the family’s background.

"You don’t have to be a great reader yourself to share a story with your children – often you just need to let the pictures carry you both along.”

For families who can’t make it to a My Hero event, there are plenty of ideas, tips and games on the Bookstart website.