Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson, author of best-selling book The Gruffalo, made a special visit to the new Trowbridge Library on September 28 as part of her national tour of libraries.

The author was welcomed by Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott before reading and singing to children from Bellefield Primary School while she visited the library’s new home at County Hall.

Trowbridge was picked from hundreds of applications to be one of only 24 libraries on the English and Welsh leg of the Children’s Laureate Libraries Tour this autumn.

As part of her Children’s Laureateship, Julia Donaldson – bestselling author of over 150 books including The Gruffalo, What the Ladybird Heard and Zog – is embarking on a tour of libraries that will take in England, Wales and Scotland, from John O’Groats to Lands’ End. The tour celebrates libraries as a precious community resource.

More than 90 children from Bellefield Primary School in Trowbridge attended the invite-only event, which saw Julia bringing some of her hugely popular stories to life through special dramatisations.

Julia Donaldson said: “Libraries are very close to my heart, and so is performance. This tour is my way of bringing the two together, by visiting fantastic libraries all over the country, enjoying children acting and singing, and sharing my own stories with them.

"I want it to be a huge celebration of libraries and of the benefits they offer to communities and especially to children.”

The school children also showed off their own acting and singing skills during a short performance inspired by children’s literature which they presented to Julia.

Alan MacRae, portfolio holder for libraries, heritage and culture said: “We are really pleased and privileged that Julia chose to visit Trowbridge on her tour, it is really important to the library and the community to have such a well loved children’s author to visit us and inspire local children’s reading and creativity.”