AUTHOR and poet Christina Gabbitas, will be storytelling her Felicity Fly series in The Grove Bookshop, in Ilkley, on Saturday, August 23 from 11am to 2.30pm.

Christina, who is a three times nominee in the people’s book prize said: “I love reading to children and engaging them by bringing the characters to life, it’s wonderful to get such a positive response.”

Christina narrates the stories and gives all her characters different accents to help engage children reading. She added: “I want to encourage parents to read with children from a young age and to learn with fun.

"I have been visiting schools and the children are very engaging. The Felicity Fly series, give parents and teachers topics to talk around, such as the importance of teamwork/friendship and helping one another, fears/phobias and pollination. The books are a fun way for children to read and learn."

Christina’s fourth book in the series, Felicity Fly and the Dragon Fruit, which addresses healthy food, is set to be launched February 2015 and she will be touring a number of bookshops and outlets throughout England.

Since publishing the books, which aim to improve listening and reading skills as well as memory, Christina has toured a number of primary schools around the region, to encourage children to write creatively, and also runs a national competition for children to write a rhyme. There are a number of children from West Yorkshire, who will see their poetry published in a national poetry book, which will be launched in September.

"I’ve been into private schools, LEA and Academys’ and the children I spoke with all ask the same kind of questions and were equally interested, so it’s fantastic to speak to children at a young age, to get them engaged reading and writing and working together," added Christina.