Paint the Town Read Marrickville recently celebrated the 20th National Simultaneous Storytime with an online reading of Whitney and Britney the Chicken Divas. The National Simultaneous Story Time is hosted by hundreds of libraries, schools, family homes and childcare centres across Australia. The event encourages kids to discover their love of reading and to seeks to improve the literacy rates of kids in Australia. Every year the event showcases a new story book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, helping to promote our unique Australian publishing industry. This year, Paint Marrickville REaD is encouraging inner west families to take the time during lockdown to read with their little ones and help them discover their love of reading. Paint Marrickville REaD plans to come together in person in November. I know that inner west kids will be excited for the special guest appearance of Garranga Bummari the Pelican. Thank you to all the Paint Marrickville REaD volunteers for providing such wonderful and welcomed entertainment for inner west kids during this pandemic. I look forward to joining you in November to help spread the love of reading.