Playing with your child and a book is to give him a gift for life! Even for 5 short minutes…

Once again this year, the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation is putting early reading to the forefront, as part of its Naître et grandir (To Be Born and To Grow) campaign, impressing upon parents that all it takes is five minutes of play with a book for their young children to benefit from it.

In an announcement, Claude Chagnon, the Foundation's president, stated: "Last year's campaign bore fruit. The vast majority of parents now recognize the importance of playing with their child and a book, even before the age of one. However, according to a survey conducted by Léger for the Foundation, 50 per cent of parents do not do it because, many say, of a lack of time. But five minutes is all it takes. The 2013-2014 campaign will focus on this message, on other practical advice, as well as on access to books in underprivileged communities."

Other than the advertising campaign, information about the importance of reading to young children can be found on the naitreetgrandir.com website. This site receives hundreds of thousands of visits from parents every month. Moreover, a promotional package about reading to young children was put together for stakeholders who work with Quebec families. The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, in collaboration with Avenir d'enfants, community organizations, the OLO Foundation, and Moisson Montréal, also distributes a free book titled Kittycat and friends/My very own book to young children in underprivileged communities.

Lastly, the Foundation is also happy to renew its contribution to the Literacy Foundation's The Gift of Reading project, which distributed nearly 20,000 books to children 0 to 5 last year.

Television ads will be aired until January 2014.