Reading took centre stage in libraries and schools across the nation on Wednesday for the 25th annual National Simultaneous Storytime.
At Warragul and Drouin libraries, acting mayor Tricia Jones and local author Jeannie Haughton led the respective events.
At Warragul, Cr Jones took young learners from Grace Berglund Kindergarten on a dramatic journey as she read them this year's selected book - The Truck Cat.
Written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell, The Truck Cat explores themes of immigration and identity, and touches on loneliness and the idea of home, through a special bond between a human and their cat.
National Simultaneous Storytime is an Australia-wide event that takes place in libraries, schools, kindergartens, childcare centres, family homes and bookshops.
Junior school students at St Paul's Anglican Grammar School also joined the more than 2 million students involved in the simultaneous event.
Early learning to year six students gathered in the junior school gym to listen to the The Truck Cat.
And, in a show of community and connection between the St Paul's junior and secondary schools, year 10 students visited prep to year two students to read more books to them.
Each year, the Australian Library and Information Association selects a book that is age appropriate and explores meaningful themes, with the book read on the same day and at the same time across the country.
The event highlights the benefits of literature by showcasing a new story that teaches young Australians about important and timely issues in a fun and vibrant way. More than 2.3 million children in 21,000 different locations took part in the event in 2024.
The state government is supporting Victorian libraries to meet the changing needs of their communities through the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, which has invested more than $49.3 million over seven years into 139 different library projects.