A novel home for bookbug Tony

From left: sister Sophia (9), brother Franco (7), Tony (4) and little Leo at just eight months with a tower of books as tall as themselves

“Tony’s four and a half and goes to Glenwood Nursery,” said proud mum Nicola Stewart. “His nursery lending library was getting low on stock, with people just not returning books, and Tony was fed up reading the same books.

“So, he asked how we could get more for the nursery. We posted up on the Mearns Gossip Girls Facebook page. I was completely blown away with the response. People kept commenting and offering books to the extent that we started our own page, Tony’s Glenwood books.”

Tony’s original target was to collect a tower of donated books to match his own height.

But people were so generous, or happy to offload them, that the tower reached not only Tony’s but the height of his three brother and sisters and growing.

“We would come to notes through the door saying ‘we’ve left a box of books behind your wheely bin’. It was growing arms and legs. And the books were in fantastic condition. And someone even left a box of chocolates for Tony.

“Three of our four children so far attend Glenwood Nursery so it’s really nice to be able to give something back.”

Tony filled the shelves of his nursery and collected enough baby and toddler age books that he passed on to Broom Church mother and toddlers group.

Now, Tony and Nicola (36) is asking for children’s groups and nurseries who need more books to get in touch via the renamed the Tony’s East Renfrewshire Book Appeal page.