THERE was a time, in the not too distant past, when I could recite

The Very Hungry Caterpillar word

for word.

At a push, I could probably still manage it, so ingrained in my brain is the tale of the little caterpillar munching his way through “one piece of chocolate cake , one ice cream, one pickle, one slice of cheese,” and the rest until he becomes a butterfly (spoilers).

Every night for what felt like eight years, our older son would ask for it as one of his bedtime stories; when he had moved on to Harry Potter, we did it all over again with the little one. I swear I sometimes did it in my sleep, on those nights following those days that vanish in a blur of children and work and ironing and shopping.

When they were bigger (though don’t tell their schoolfriends) if they were ill, or upset, The Very Hungry Caterpillar would make

a return appearance, lifting spirits like a comforting old blanket or well-timed mug

of hot chocolate.

A survey commissioned by Scottish Book Trust (SBT) reveals that in Scotland, less than one-third of parents – 31 per cent – read to their children every day. This drops to just 15% for those that were never read to by their own parents or carers as a child.

There are lots of interesting reasons why reading to your children is A Good Thing, not least of all the benefits to mental health and wellbeing. I wasn’t thinking about any

of them, of course, when I sat with my sons, arms wrapped around each other, reciting Eric Carle’s words – it was just a lovely thing to do, some valuable, peaceful time together at the end of a busy day.

But the facts behind SBT’s research make interesting reading. Not only do 83% of people agree reading reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety (increasing to 94% when reading daily), reading is also key to helping fight the effects of living in poverty.

Other studies have shown if a child does not learn to read well when young, they

can turn away from education as they get older, get poor qualifications and struggle

in the world of work. From improving employability, social skills and family bonding to reducing stress and anxiety, developing language skills and doing better at school, the benefits of reading, even for

a short time each day, can be life-changing.

SBT has launched a fundraising campaign, Scottish Book Trust 21, to increase its work where it is needed most – timely, when you consider almost one in four children in Scotland live in poverty.

Poverty does not mean failure, but it is a huge obstacle in children’s way. Encouraging them to read is a cheap (long live local libraries) way of helping them overcome it.