The Duchess of Cambridge has recommended five of her favourite children’s authors for the Duchess of Cornwall’s popular online book club.
Kate revealed her love of making dens and discovering the outdoors had probably inspired one of her choices – Clive King’s Stig Of The Dump, the story of a stone-age boy discovered by a schoolboy.
Speaking about her choice, she said: “As a child I loved spending time outdoors, making dens, digging, discovering and making things out of odds and ends.
“Whether this was why my father recommended this book to me or whether this book inspired my imagination, I can’t remember, but I have never forgotten this brilliant book and the values it teaches.”
Princess Charlotte appears to be a fan of another of her mother’s picks – Charlotte’s Web by EB White, the timeless tale of a spider and a pig who become friends.
“An all-time classic and loved in our house for obvious reasons. This is a charming story about friendship, loyalty and love,” Kate said.
The duchess became the latest celebrity to record a bedtime story reading for the CBeebies channel when she narrated her next choice, The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark by Jill Tomlinson, in February.
The popular book tells the story of Plop, a baby barn owl who is helped by others to grow in confidence and overcome his fears.
Kate said: “I loved this book as a little girl and listening to my own children reading it has brought back so many wonderful memories. A comforting story to help children face their fears and grow in confidence with the help of others.”
The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room is an Instagram-based resource for book lovers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Inspired by the success of her lockdown reading lists shared during the pandemic in 2020, the project offers new seasons of book recommendations, as well as exclusive insights from the authors themselves.
Camilla is marking World Book Day 2022 by launching a children’s section of The Reading Room featuring the five authors chosen by Kate.
Her choices, which appear on a new Reading Room website and the Instagram hub, include Feelings by Libby Walden, described by the duchess as “a wonderful way to help children understand and recognise their feelings and emotions”.
Kate’s final choice is The Katie Morag series by Mairi Hedderwick, which the duchess said were: “Fun stories for children of all ages and a great book for older children to read to younger siblings.
“These books are filled with captivating and beautiful illustrations to accompany the text so there’s lots to talk about!”
