Let’s all read with babies from birthso they’re ready to learn at school

Let’s all read, talk, sing and rhyme with children from birth

Her Excellency, Mrs Hurley launches REaD and Sing with Me at Home.

By | 27 April, 2020

This morning, Her Excellency Mrs Hurley launched our national campaign, REaD and Sing with Me at Home, on the Governor General of Australia’s Facebook page, by singing a song she has composed for us.

The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.

Mrs Hurley loves singing and, as a teacher, parent and grandparent, knows so well how important (and fun!) reading with children is.

She launched the campaign by reading ‘GoGo and The Lost Book’, compiled by Paint Liverpool REaD, singing the song she has written for PTTR, and placing her own teddy in the gates of Government House.

To get inspiration about how you can participate, follow Paint the Town REaD and — above all — read and sing at home!

REaD and Sing with Me at Home

By | 26 April, 2020

On Monday 27 April 2020, Her Excellency Mrs. Linda Hurley, wife of the Governor General, will launch Paint the Town REaD’s (PTTR) new national campaign: REaD and Sing with Me at Home.

The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.

Inspired by the social movement of children putting teddy bears in windows, PTTR groups will provide fun reminders and suggested activities to promote singing and reading at home.

So watch this space — and our Facebook page.

Rhonda Brain with Reading Bug and Apprentice Joey reading at home
Rhonda Brain, PTTR’s Creative Director, gets REaDy for the launch, by decorating her home in Parkes NSW in red, and reading with the Apprentice Joey from Paint the Swan REaD in WA, watched over by the Reading Bug.

PTTR and COVID-19

By | 27 March, 2020

In the middle of the world turning upside in the space of a few weeks, we are thrilled to tell you that our local PTTR community organisers are once more demonstrating their creative skills in how best to support families and children keeping the love of books alive — or introducing them to books for the first time.

From Paint the Swan REaD in WA, where staff from Clan Midland have spent ‘virtual’ time planning for how best to keep sharing the message of read, talk, sing and rhyme with your baby from birth, to Port Lincoln in SA, where the reading egg has still been visiting early childhood services, to D’Bay in Qld where Kooka their mascot has been very busy in services this week, through to Liverpool in NSW, where their mascot Gogo has been super busy practising nursery rhymes to sing with children online we are with you.

And in the background the PTTR Board has been meeting to implement strategic contingency plans

So, parents, grandparents, and all the family, keep an eye on your local PTTR facebook page and our national Paint the Town REaD Facebook Page for ideas and support. Check out your local library Facebook pages, too, for their live streaming of story times … you may even find your mascot there!

Chinese Translation for PTTR Booklet

By | 25 October, 2019

Thank you to the Australian Chinese Charity Foundation for their generous grant to fund the translation of PTTR’s ‘How to Feed Your Baby’s Brain’ into Chinese.
Home language is so important for parents to use to read, talk and sing with their babies, so we are thrilled that we can now translate our most popular resource into Chinese.

Monica and Barbie with Baby’s Brain book
Monica Chu, Chairperson of ACCF, with Barbie Bates, Executive Director of PTTR, at ACCF’s 2019 Annual Dinner, where the grant was announced.

Mackay: State winners!

By | 17 September, 2019

Congratulations Paint Mackay REaD, who in partnership with F5F at Mackay library, won the Queensland Local Government Authority Award for outstanding community service for their Berky Birthday Books.

The Mackay team celebrating their award at the Queensland Public Libraries Association Conference Dinner last Thursday.

Our new Patron!

By | 6 September, 2019

We are delighted to announce that Her Excellency, Mrs Linda Hurley is our new Patron.

Mrs Hurley writes:

I am delighted to become Patron of Paint the Town REaD.

There are few things I am more passionate about than encouraging our young people to read, sing and rhyme. Many of us take these foundational skills for granted but it is far too common for children to arrive at school without the skills necessary to make the most of their early education. That is why Paint the Town REaD’s efforts are so critical. The more we encourage parents, carers and communities to read with children the better off they will be as individuals and we will be as a country.

I’m looking forward to supporting your cause and celebrating your efforts over the next five years. 

Street Libraries – our new partner!

By | 29 July, 2019

Paint the Town REaD is thrilled to partner with Street Libraries across
Australia, both at a strategic and local level.

Strategically we are forging communication and purchasing links, and locally we are looking together at some joint branding, as well as PTTR groups being invited to ‘adopt a Street Library’ for orphan libraries. 

Our inaugural meeting
L to R: Nic Lowe, ‘Captain’ of Street Libraries, Cecile Schuldiener, its General Manager, Barbie Bates, ED PTTR Ltd, Lindy Alwis and Vivi Martin,
Co-ordinators of Paint Marrickville REaD.

Thank you Lady Cosgrove

By | 30 June, 2019

Thank you Lady Cosgrove for being our first Patron – for your warmth, wisdom, laughter and commitment to the children of Australia.

Over these past three years we have truly valued meeting and celebrating with you our milestones and plans for the future.

We wish you and Sir Peter all the very best for your future adventures, knowing that they will include reading with children from birth!

Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove has been bitten again by the REaDing Bug at
Admiralty House, Sydney, NSW.
l to r: Rhonda Brain, Lady Cosgrove, Barbie Bates, Lindy Alwis, Tracey Kirk Downey.

Grounded In Truth

By | 2 June, 2019

Grounded in Truth – Walk Together with Courage.

The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week resonates through us here at PTTR as we remember with gratitude the wise, beautiful and heartfelt Welcomes to Country that we have received from Aboriginal Elders as we travelled on the Paint Australia REaD Book Relay from Perth to the Pacific, these last couple of months. From Auntie Marie in Noongar Country to Aunty Lorraine in Dharawal Country, and the many Elders in between, we have been blessed by your truth and your courage. Thank you so much.

Paint the Town REaD logo Paint the Town REaD ladybird Book Paint the Town REaD Ladybird body back Ladybird body front