Lessons of love and connection shared at Kemblawarra Public - and across the nation

And Cody Breasley, the assistant principal curriculum and instruction at the Port Kembla school, couldn't be happier.

"The paper plate with sticks and twigs and blue things might be a bit random but it was all part of a wonderful immersive experience," she said.

That experience was this year's National Simultaneous Storytime, featuring Aura Parker's book, Bowerbird Blues.

The event, now in its 24th year, involves people in places including libraries, schools, early childhood education and care services, family homes, and bookshops simultaneously reading an Australian children's book.

"This is the most delightful book on so many levels. It is a powerful piece of storytelling," Mrs Breasley said.

"The illustrations are beautiful, the animal is captivating and we see them in the Illawarra, so what a great story for our kids to be able to read because they can actually see these animals in the wild.

"The story also lends itself to having further conversations, like what did bowerbirds collect before man-made blue items like pegs existed?

"The language is rich and the concepts are wonderfully deep and can be extended to lots of different levels."

About 30 preschoolers across two classes joined their Kemblawarra kindergarten to year two peers for the event. And their reaction to the reading floored Mrs Breasley.

Rather than simply being captivated by the tale of a bowerbird's antics as it searches for longing and connection, building nests and collecting treasure for its bower, she said the preschoolers homed in on the emotional elements.

"They definitely responded to the message of love and sharing.

"It's wonderful for kids to be exposed to the idea that 'I'm not the only person reading this story today' and we are all sitting down and sharing it and there are lots of people around the world who love reading.

"It opens up that social connection of shared experiences."

The school encouraged the students to wear blue accessories and, after the reading, went on a scavenger hunt to find hidden blue objects and to build their own bowerbird nests with natural and man-made materials.

Involving the students from the onsite preschool was an added bonus as it helps them become familiar with the school community and environment from an early age.