Small Book — Great Person
A book is a gift for life. It accompanies us from our earliest years, inspires us, fuels our imagination, and – above all – helps us understand the world around us and discover who we are. At the Book Institute, we believe that reading not only supports a child’s overall development but also builds bridges between generations, strengthening family bonds. That’s why each book given to a child as part of the Small Book – Great Person project is a source of immense pride and joy for us.
Bookstart Program
A Baby’s First Encounter with a Book
The first stage of our project begins in maternity wards, where newborns and their parents receive bookstart kits. This symbolic introduction to the world of books and shared reading brings literature into children’s lives from their very first days. Thanks to our collaboration with medical staff and midwives, we are able to reach new parents and encourage them to read to their children daily.
A highlight of this year’s edition was Tyci, tyci (“Tiny Tiny”) – a collection of poems by Dorota Gellner, illustrated by Joanna Kłos, created especially for this age group.
In 2024, over 236,000 books were distributed to young parents. The kits were available in over 90% of maternity hospitals in Poland, demonstrating the broad reach and effectiveness of these efforts.
A Preschooler in the Library
Preschool-aged children could collect their book packs at nearly 7,000 public libraries across Poland. The project encourages children to visit libraries regularly with their caregivers, make their first independent reading choices, and learn to care for borrowed books.
As part of this initiative, we distributed approximately 160,000 copies of Krasnal w Krzywej Czapce (“The Gnome in the Crooked Hat”) by Wojciech Widłak, illustrated by Aleksandra Krzanowska, along with a parent guide and the Little Reader’s Card.
Introducing First-Graders to the World of Literature
For children beginning first grade, we prepared a reading kit featuring Wnuczka antykwariusza (“The Antiquarian’s Granddaughter”) by Justyna Bednarek, illustrated by Emilia Dziubak, along with a parent guide.
In 2024, we delivered books to 430,000 first-grade students in nearly 13,500 schools across Poland. We encouraged teachers and librarians to present the books during special occasions, such as “Reader’s Induction” ceremonies or the child’s first visit to the school library.
Over 800,000 Books Gifted to Children Each Year
In 2024 alone, we distributed around 800,000 reading kits. Since the launch of the campaign in 2017, more than 6 million books have reached children across various age groups. These impressive numbers highlight the broad scale of our initiative and its significant impact on promoting reading among children in Poland.
Media Campaign
The distribution of books was accompanied by a wide-reaching promotional and media campaign aimed at reminding parents of the vital role reading plays in a child’s development from birth – and encouraging regular shared reading.
We strive to be present wherever young readers and their caregivers are.
In 2024, we ran a large-scale promotional campaign across television, radio, print, digital media, arthouse cinemas, and the Multikino network, under the slogan Read to Your Child from Birth! Our TV and online commercial emphasized the importance of starting to read to children as early as possible.
Our website – featuring over 100 articles on supporting children’s reading development – attracted 350,000 visitors last year.
Our social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) now have a combined following of 57,000.
International Cooperation
Once again, we proudly participated in the international EuRead and Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting initiatives.
These partnerships allow us to exchange experiences with organizations worldwide, draw inspiration from innovative projects, and implement best practices here in Poland.
Our involvement confirms that our work is recognized and serves as a model for similar programs in other countries.
Research and Evaluation
To ensure that Small Book – Great Person continues to grow and evolve, we conduct annual evaluations.
In 2024, we evaluated the library component of the program. We found that 66% of participants in the preschooler program were new readers who signed up for a library card thanks to the project—meaning nearly 100,000 children joined the library system. Nearly 53% of them visited the library and borrowed books at least 10 times.
Additionally, we commissioned a nationwide study on current family reading practices. Preliminary findings indicate that the Small Book – Great Person project has had a positive impact on the reading habits of both children and their families.