BURY'S babies are being given the chance to read before they can walk!

Libraries have launched the Bookstart Book Crawl, part of a national project to encourage parents to promote reading to their toddlers.

The "crawl", for youngsters aged below five, comes in the wake of the Bookstart scheme which started in 1992 and was also taken up in Bury.

Parents can join by picking a membership card at any local library. This will be stamped every time they visit, and after ten trips they will receive a prize and a certificate to show they have finished the book crawl.

A recommended book list will be available for those who need guidance, although children can choose any books to go towards their book crawl.

Councillor Siobhan Costello, executive member for community services, said: "Research for the original Bookstart programme showed that children who received the free book pack at nine months old were able to relate to books and reading much more quickly when they started school.

"Now, after 11 years, Book Crawl is a natural extension to Bookstart, giving Bury's babies and toddlers a head start as well as making the choosing and reading of books from public libraries more fun.