Tala is a friendly creature who likes to go on journeys, seeking out stories and rhymes to share with children.
Tala was created by local artists Emma Phillips and Eva Povey using funds from an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant. They worked with families through interactive workshops to find out what appeals to young children and used these ideas in their design.
Tala features on our new My First Library card and on the special My First certificates presented to children when they first join the library and start school. We will be asking families for more milestones to celebrate over time.
Finding books to read with your little one is easy with the help of Hertfordshire Libraries. Visit any library to discover a wide choice of engaging, inclusive, quality board book and picture books to borrow – perfect for sharing with babies and young children every day.
- It’s free to join the library and borrow books. You can also use your library card with BorrowBox for ebooks and audio books.
- Renew books online, by telephone or via the Hertfordshire Libraries App to avoid overdue charges.
- Children love to choose their own books and using the library is a great way to let them make choices. If you don’t like a story then just return it and choose a different one. If you do like a story then you can renew it to read again and again and again!
- Join in with Baby Rhyme Time and Storytime – they’re free too but we welcome donations.
Babies and young children love books and rhymes. Reading regularly with your child can be a lovely way to spend time together and has lots of amazing benefits too:
- it supports your child’s language as they get to hear lots of new words
- they enjoy looking at, and talking about, the pictures with you
- taking time to read together has a positive effect on their wellbeing and boosts their confidence and self-esteem too
- stories expand their understanding of the world and help young children to understand their feelings and the feelings of others
- sharing stories at bedtime can help settle a child, ready to sleep
- children who enjoy sharing books as young children go on to read for pleasure when they are older.