A children’s author and illustrator taught schoolchildren the art of making pop-up books as part of Community Literacy Week.

Pupils at Hertswood School in Thrift Lane looked on with amazement as John O’Leary turned pieces of card into colourful story books on Wednesday.

But they soon set to work cutting and folding to make their own illustrations burst from the page.

Teacher Laura Edgar said: “The children caught on very quickly and they’re going to be continuing using the skills in their next lessons.”

The event forms part of Community Literacy Week, which is being celebrated by all primary schools in Borehamwood.

Ms Edgar said: “The week is a great way of celebrating the joy of reading for pleasure and how important it is.

“Research has shown that children who don’t read for pleasure lag two years behind their peers by the time they’re 15. Literacy Week allows us to demonstrate the value of reading for the whole school community."