Walsall Council was delighted to welcome Joseph Coelho, the Children’s Laureate, to the Lichfield Street Library in Walsall last week as part of his nationwide ‘Library Marathon’.

During his visit, Joseph signed up for a Walsall library card before taking part in a family story time and performing some of his poetry.

The award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author is visiting local libraries around the country to highlight their crucial roles in community building and encouraging the love of reading among young people.

This was his 157th library visit, and the children enjoyed an afternoon of stories about hamsters, school dinners and bugs, before taking part in a craft session based on Jospeh’s book ‘The Hairdo that got away’.

The ‘Library Marathon’ is an initiative managed by BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. It is Joseph’s personal mission to join a library in every local authority and encourage people to register with their local library and highlighting the vital role libraries play in inspiring a love of reading in young people.