Truck Cat to take the wheel as NSS celebrates 25 years 

Children’s book The Truck Cat has the honour of being selected as the 2025 choice for the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIAs) National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) event.

NSS is one of Australia’s largest interactive events aimed at promoting the value of reading and literacy using an Australian children’s book, and is a well loved feature of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector’s calendar. 

On Wednesday 21 May 2025 millions of children, teachers, parents, caregivers and members of the community will come together to participate in NSS which is extra special this year as 2025 marks 25 years since NSS began. 

Initially an initiative during Library and Information Week to promote the value of reading and literacy in primary school aged children, NSS has since expanded to include libraries, schools, early learning centres, families, and communities across, all of whom gather together on a designated day, at a designated time, to read the same book simultaneously. 

NSS is also a crucial opportunity to highlight the role libraries play in nurturing a lifelong love of reading. “From storytime sessions to literacy programs and curated collections, libraries provide invaluable support for developing reading skills and igniting imaginations” ALIA CEO Cathie Warburton said. 

“It is an undeniable demonstration of how libraries bring stories to life and connect communities through the power of reading.”

This year’s selected book The Truck Cat – written by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell, and published by Hardie Grant – was selected by an expert panel of children’s and youth librarians all of whom praised the book for its meditation on themes such as home, loneliness, migration, love and even food. These themes unfold against the backdrop of Danny Snell’s elegant and evocative illustrations and of course through the story of one very courageous cat and his owner. 

Once again, ALIA has developed a range of resources and merchandise to support the thousands of NSS activities that will take place leading up to and on the day. Registrations are open until 10 am on the day of the event. Visit the NSS page on the ALIA website to join in.