News Corp Australia launches ‘The Great Australian Storybook Collection’ campaign

The magic of stories and the worlds they create is something children everywhere cherish, and starting this weekend, News Corp Australia is bringing Australia’s best children’s storybooks to life with The Great Australian Storybook Collection.

News Corp Australia launched The Great Australian Storybook Collection campaign this week, aimed to assist children’s literacy, while bringing the beauty and magic of Australia’s best children’s storybooks to life, including Possum Magic by renowned children’s author Mem Fox, Waltzing Matilda by Banjo Patterson and Tales from the Gum Tree by May Gibbs.

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The 15 book collection launches on Saturday 22 July in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory and on Sunday 23 July in New South Wales and Queensland.

The first book, Possum Magic, is free with the purchase of a metro or regional newspaper along with a collector case. The remaining 14 books can be collected, with one available each day for $2.30 with a newspaper purchase. More than 4000 retail stores around the country will sell News Corp Australia’s Great Australian Storybook Collection.

The campaign is running in The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser, Herald Sun and other regional papers such as The Mercury, The Herald and Weekly Times, Townsville Bulletin, The Northern Star, The Daily Mercury, Sunshine Coast Daily, The Queensland Times, The Chronicle, News Mail and The Morning Bulletin. There is also a national TVC, a creative PR and social media campaign and a children’s competition in The Sunday Herald Sun, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Mail in Queensland and South Australia.

Mem Fox, Australia’s best-loved children’s author, who has five books as part of the Great Australian Storybook Collection, is helping to promote the book collection as well as raise the importance of reading for young children.

Says Fox: “It’s magical, what reading does for a child’s imagination in terms of encouraging them to think about amazing characters and places.

“This collection is a lovely mix of beauty and history as well as a bit of silly and fun with titles every child and parent will enjoy.”

Fox has been a long-time advocate of parents reading aloud to children, something she has done since her first book, Possum Magic, was published 34 years ago. With its enchanting illustrations by Julie Vivas, the book has sold more than four million copies, is frequently voted Australia’s favourite children’s book and continues to enthral small children.

News Corp Australia also recently ran the Great Australian Reading Survey across all mastheads, as part of the Raise a Reader campaign. The survey, which took the pulse of reading habits across the country, is part of News Corp Australia’s commitment to raising literacy standards across the nation.

Says Campbell Reid, director of corporate affairs and editorial management, News Corp Australia: “Literacy is crucial to a strong economy in Australia. It’s vital that strong reading habits are formed in early years and nurtured throughout life.

“Ultimately we will turn up the heat on literacy standards nationally via this campaign.”

The Great Australian Story Book Collection includes:

Possum Magic by Mem Fox

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

I Went Walking by Sue Machin and Julie Vivas

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey

The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland

There was an old lady who swallowed a mozzie by P.Crumble

This & That by Mem Fox

Tales from the Gum Tree by May Gibbs

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox

Pig the Fibber by Aaron Blabey

Waltzing Matilda by Banjo Patterson

Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan

For more information go to www.greataussiestories.com.au.​​