Guess How Much I Love You: Lisburn
As World Book Day approaches on 5 March, many schools encourage children to dress as their favourite story characters. In Northern Ireland, several book-themed attractions offer engaging ways to inspire young readers before the event.
One notable example is the international bestseller Guess How Much I Love You, authored by the late Sam McBratney, a lifelong Lisburn resident. This cherished bedtime story features a dialogue between two hares expressing the depth of their affection.
In 2023, Lisburn commemorated McBratney's legacy with a public art and literature trail based on the book. The trail extends from Castle Gardens through Wallace Park, Haslem's Lane, and Lisburn Square.
A prominent 4ft-tall bronze sculpture of Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare is situated in Castle Gardens, complemented by carved wooden hares scattered throughout Wallace Park. Additional features include three hand-carved benches and murals inspired by the book's illustrations.
Roberta Carser, a resident of nearby Hilden, often takes her young granddaughter Torie to Wallace Park. Although Torie owns a copy of Guess How Much I Love You, she is currently too young to follow the trail.
"When she gets bigger, hopefully we'll bring her and she'll be able to come on her bike or whatever and we'll be able to stop and look at them and read what it says," Roberta said.
"Children are inquisitive and they're bound to come and say: 'What is that?'
"And hopefully it would make parents say: 'There's a lovely book all about that and we could get the book and read it'."
Katie Alexander, a local teacher and first-time mother, also visits Wallace Park with her daughter Isabella. She observes that the sculptures encourage families to discuss the book.
"Obviously Isabella is a little bit young to fully understand the concept.
"But I've seen other parents, grandparents, with their children sitting on the benches and looking at the sculptures and talking around them," she said.
Regarding the educational value of public art, Katie added:
"If children are already familiar with the text and the imagery associated with the book then, yes absolutely.
"It's all those early reading strategies that you want children to be aware of, so it's the visual along with then the language and the development that comes with that."
The Lisburn trail is free to explore, with further information accessible via a dedicated app.
CS Lewis Square: East Belfast
CS Lewis Square in east Belfast honors the Belfast-born author CS Lewis. This public space features seven sculptures inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.
The novel is set largely in Narnia, a land inhabited by talking animals and mythical creatures, ruled by the malevolent White Witch. The Pevensie children discover this magical realm during their adventures.
Visitors to CS Lewis Square can view sculptures of Mr Tumnus, Maugrim, the White Witch, Mr and Mrs Beaver, the Stone Table, the robin, and prominently, Aslan. The square is open to the public 24 hours a day.
Do statues inspire children?
Sian Cairns, senior services manager at Libraries NI, highlights the role of artwork in engaging young readers.
"Artwork can make books feel more exciting and accessible rather than intimidating or difficult for children," she said.
"Seeing a statue out on a trail links to a story, it turns reading into something real and tangible, not just something that happens in schools," she added.
"Anything that helps a child get excited about a story is a positive thing, and libraries are here to take them on that next step once they've seen the statues."
The Gruffalo Trail: West Belfast
Colin Glen Forest Park in west Belfast hosts a nature walk themed around Julia Donaldson's bestselling children's book, The Gruffalo. The story follows a clever mouse who encounters a series of predators while walking through a "deep, dark wood".
The 10-year-old trail allows children to retrace the mouse's journey, spotting sculptures of the mouse, the fox, the owl, the snake, and the Gruffalo himself.
Belfast mother Sinead Campbell often visits the trail with her four-year-old son Joshua.
"This little man loves the Gruffalo and all the books, so it's a good way of keeping him motivated to keep walking up these hills," she told NI.
"It's a great idea to incorporate reading and books and nature."
"He loves to explore all the different creatures and loves to get his photo taken with them."
Paddington Bear: Newtownards
The Paddington statue in Conway Square, Newtownards, depicts the beloved bear enjoying his favourite marmalade sandwiches. The character originates from English author Michael Bond's books, chronicling Paddington's adventures after arriving in London from Peru and being adopted by the Brown family.
In 2024, over 20 benches featuring Paddington were temporarily installed in towns across the UK to promote the film Paddington in Peru. Newtownards is the sole Northern Ireland location hosting one of these benches.
