Peppa Pig is an adorable, cheeky little pig and her adventures with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig provide fantastic stories to share with a young audience.

Top Tips for Storytelling Sessions

Here are some top tips when reading aloud your piggy-tales!

Before you begin the story, you might want to think about a fun way to start. It's great to capture the attention and imagination of your young audience right from the start. 'Before we start, I think we should all give a loud Oink! Oink! to Peppa. After 3 everyone...'

Make sure your story is appropriate for the age group of your audience. The Peppa Pig books are particularly suited for children between the ages of 2 and 5. It is often more fun to aim your story at the younger members of the group when reading to an audience of mixed ages. The older ones will enjoy making loud sound effects!

Remember that most children of this age have a relatively short attention span so keep stories short. It is better to read and talk about three short stories than one really long one.

Story telling is best done in a relaxed atmosphere free of distractions. However it's good to be prepared for a few interruptions - children do get restless! Can you involve the restless child with a little responsibility, can they hold the book, or turn the pages for you, or make sure everyone has seen the pictures?

Children love silly voices! Imagine the characters and change your voice accordingly. For example you may want Daddy Pig to sound more serious and confident. Try different accents too.

Be enthusiastic and as dramatic as possible. If George is scared, try gasping and looking frightened. Children will think this is really funny.

Look for parts in the story that children can join in such as repetitive phrases or actions. For instance, you could encourage the group to stomp in imaginary muddy puddles.

Be confident and look at your audience - eye contact will really get their attention.

Hold up the book so everyone can see the pictures. Talk about what is going on in the pictures and use any other visual aids you have. Props can be good fun and effective too.

Ask questions: 'What can you see? What do you think is going to happen next? Do you like dressing-up too?'

Above all, enjoy the story together. Your obvious enjoyment will be infectious.