Building Communities, the new children’s reading list from Cairn Homes and Children’s Books Ireland, has been launched today with the goal to ‘inspire building the homes, places and communities of tomorrow’.

As the next generation of community­-builders, the reading list encourages children to approach their surroundings with creativity and imagination, creating places and spaces that are welcoming to everyone. Containing twenty-four titles for children, from board books up to sixth class, each book included is accompanied by a review from an expert in children’s literature.

Furthering the impact of the guide at a community level, six primary schools have each received a set of one hundred books from the reading list for their library. One such school is Rush National School, North County Dublin, where the launch of the guide was celebrated today. The pupils of first class took part in a ‘Monster Doodle’ with artist Fuchsia MacAree, creator of the visual identity of the guide. Helped by volunteers from Cairn Homes, the children dreamt up and drew homes of all imaginable shapes and sizes on a giant, shared canvas, creating a colourful and vibrant neighbourhood of their own.

Maura Winston, Chief People Officer of Cairn Homes, said: ‘We are delighted to partner once again with our friends at Children’s Books Ireland to bring you Building Communities, a new initiative created to challenge traditional perceptions of what it’s like to work in construction, to promote STEM careers and to inspire the next generation of homebuilders.

‘It’s important to us that children from all backgrounds and locations across Ireland are aware from an early age of the opportunities open to them in construction.  When children don’t have adults around them who work in construction or STEM, it can be hard to see how they might make careers in these areas. It’s a case of ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.’

‘We work with secondary school students on a TY programme, and with third-level students by supporting internships and on a mentoring programme and by partnering with Children’s Books Ireland we are reaching children at a younger age.’

Elaina Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Books Ireland, said: ‘Building Communities speaks to the heart of our work at Children’s Books Ireland. By cultivating a love of reading, we inspire confidence, encourage empathy and empower children and young people to build their own futures.

‘The characters featured in this list reflect the multitude of cultures and identities in modern Ireland, working together to create a world that everyone is proud of. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Cairn Homes on this project, which will bring so much joy to schools, families and communities across the country.’