On Wednesday 27 May, something special happened in early learning centres, schools and libraries right across the country, and ours were right in the middle of it.
What Is National Simultaneous Storytime?
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an annual event run by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), now in its 26th year. Every year, a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, preschools, childcare centres, bookshops, and homes across Australia, and beyond.
At 12pm AEST on 27 May 2026, millions of children sat down together to hear the same story at exactly the same time. It's one of the most joyful reading events on the Australian calendar, and a genuine reminder of what shared stories can do for children, families and communities.
This Year's Book: Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller
This year's chosen title was Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, illustrated by Jake Minton, and published by Little Book Press. Luna Roo is the rookie captain of FC Outback, stepping up to lead her team in a thrilling match against Bush United, facing spider goalkeepers, snake attackers, and a serious case of nerves along the way. The story's message is one that resonates well beyond the soccer pitch: trust your skills, back your teammates, and keep going even when things get hard.
The authors bring real football credentials to the story. Adam Jackson has worked in the sport for nearly 20 years, including time at Manchester United and as Head of Marketing at global sports broadcaster beIN SPORTS. Adrian Lloyd is an FA-qualified coach who has coached at Fulham FC and with children's teams here in Australia. That background gives the book an authenticity that children, and the educators reading it, can feel.
How Our Centres Joined In
Across our network of centres, including Milestones Early Learning, Papilio Early Learning, Kids Academy, Aussie Kindies Early Learning, and more, educators found creative and engaging ways to make NSS a full experience, not just a shared reading moment.
Some centres created soccer-themed sensory trays for children to explore before and after the story, connecting the book's themes to hands-on play. Others organised soccer-inspired physical activities, getting children moving and channelling Luna Roo's energy out on the mat and in the yard. And in several centres, foyer displays were set up so children could share what the event meant to them with their families at pick-up time, turning a single storytime into a conversation that continued at home.
Why Events Like This Matter
NSS is about more than a single book read on a single day. It's a national moment that puts shared reading front and centre, and research consistently supports why that matters. Reading regularly with children from a young age stimulates brain development, strengthens relationships, and builds the language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that set children up for life. When a child sits with an educator and hears a story read with expression and care, they're not just enjoying a narrative, they're building vocabulary, developing listening skills, and experiencing the kind of warm, engaged connection that early learning is built on.
For our educators, NSS is also a chance to bring the wider community into the room, to show children that what happens in their centre is part of something much bigger happening all around Australia, at exactly the same moment.
Join a Centre Near You
If you'd like to find out more about how our centres bring literacy, play, and learning to life every day, we'd love to welcome you in for a visit.