BABIES and tots delved into the magical world of storytelling at the Barrhead Foundry.

The Bookbug event saw youngsters having a fun-filled morning with reading, singing and dancing.

The popular club aims to encourage tots to pick up a book from a young age to spark their imaginations and enhance their learning in the hope that it leads to a lifelong love of reading.

Incorporating touch and feel books, board stories, cuddly toys and DVDs, the Bookbug classes bring reading to life in various ways.

The latest session was led by Sharon Edenborough, who took the kids through a range of activities – with mums, dads and grandparents joining in.

The clubs are seen as having multiple benefits, encouraging interaction between parents and helping new mums to meet up.

A spokesman for the Scottish Book Trust, which funds all Bookbug sessions, said: “A child’s imagination is a powerful and unique thing.

“It’s not only used to make up stories and games, it’s a key factor in their creative thoughts and can define the type of education, career and life they have.”

It says even fairy tales can play a role in introducing children to various cultures and different ways of doing things.

“Fairy tales teach children about cultural differences in the world outside their own, gifting them a curiosity to learn new things and experience new places.”

Bookbug sessions are held at the Barrhead Foundry four times a week.

The first session takes place every Wednesday and is for babies aged up to 18 months, while a class for toddlers between 18 months and four years runs each Friday.

The venue then hosts an open session for pre-school children on Saturdays.

Each of the aforementioned classes run from 10.30am until 11am. There is also a session on Sundays for pre-school children, starting at 11.30am.

For more details, visit www.ercultureandleisure.org/bookbug.