A star of children’s fiction has helped Manchester to launch its World Book Day celebrations.

Around 450 school pupils met renowned author and illustrator Nick Sharratt at libraries across Manchester for special interactive events to promote the love of reading.

At one of the sessions, children from Old Moat Primary School met Nick at Withington Library, where they enjoyed reading a number of Nick’s books – including Never use a Knife and Fork, and Shark in the Park – and even helped with the storytelling, by acting as characters from the books.

At the session the children were also treated to a step by step illustration guide, as Nick – who has authored more than 40 children’s books and illustrated almost 250 books – showed them how to draw some of his most popular characters.

Nick said: “I was delighted to help promote World Book Day in Manchester this week.

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“Developing a love of reading in early life can bring not only enormous pleasure, but lead the way to all kinds of advantages and opportunities in years to come.

“It was wonderful to have the chance to spread the word in venues around the city and an enormous pleasure to meet so many enthusiastic book-loving children with their parents and carers, and brilliant, dedicated teaching and library staff too.”

Manchester Libraries will be celebrating World Book Day in style with a variety of exciting events to inspire children with a love of reading until Friday, March 4, with extra-special Tiny Tots and Toddler Time story sessions – open to all under-fives – will be held in libraries across Manchester.

Children attending the storytime sessions will receive a £1 World Book Day token, which can be exchanged in bookshops and supermarkets for any one of ten special World Book Day books written by a top children’s author.

For more information about Manchester’s libraries, visit the Manchester libraries website.