WIGAN Council has set up a scheme to develop children's interest in books - starting when they are babies.

Called the Owl Club, it is aimed at children between seven and 12 months.

Children in the Leigh area will receive a free starter pack which includes a board book, a nursery rhyme card, a bedroom poster and a booklist.

Rodney Hill, Director of Leisure Services, said: "We believe that you cannot start early enough getting children used to holding books and understanding that the marks on the page mean something.

Even at six months, a baby can hold a book, focus on pictures and listen to parents describe what is in the pictures. "They may not yet fully understand, but they are taking in important messages which are the beginnings of learning to read."

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