Canberra, 19 May 2026— The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has today announced an agreement with SBS, bringing Australia's premier national reading event — National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) — to the SBS On Demand platform.On Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 12:00pm AEST millions of Australian families, schools, libraries, and early learning communities will come together to read this year's official book, Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller, written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd and illustrated by Jake A. Minton.
NSS drew more than 2.3 million participants across more than 21,000 locations in 2025 — making it one of the largest collective reading events in the world. With SBS now amplifying the event through it’s On Demand platform, ALIA hopes for record participation numbers in 2026.
The timing carries particular significance. NSS 2026 takes place just 15 days before the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ — the biggest sporting event on the planet — for which SBS holds exclusive broadcast rights across all 104 matches, live and free to all Australians. With football fever already building across the country, Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller — a high-energy football story set in the Australian outback — could hardly be a more fitting book to bridge sport and literacy in a single national moment.
The NSS recording will feature a reading of Luna Roo by Adam and Adrian, a drawing demonstration by Jake, and a conversation with the creators facilitated by one of Australia’s leading voices in football broadcasting, Niav Owens (you can find Niav's bio at the bottom of the page). It will be sent to all NSS registrants ahead of the official National Simultaneous Storytime event on 27 May and will be available for replay on the SBS On Demand platform from 28 May 2026. It will also be available to view on the ALIA Youtube channel.
SBS Learn also has a free World Cup resource available for teachers to bring football into the classroom. This includes activities, profiles and investigations for Foundation to Year 10.
Do not miss the 2026 National Simultaneous Storytime event - Register here
Cathie Warburton, CEO, ALIA:
"NSS is a reminder of the essential role libraries play in nurturing learning, connection and a love of stories. Throughout the year library storytime is available to all children in public libraries across Australia. Partnering with SBS brings NSS to the On Demand platform for the first time and marks a major new chapter for the event — extending its reach, raising awareness of the importance of literacy, and helping even more families and communities take part. SBS speaks to all Australians — it is trusted, inclusive, and deeply embedded in communities across the country. That spirit aligns perfectly with everything NSS stands for. With Luna Roo’s football heart and the World Cup just around the corner, we believe 2026 will be our most exciting NSS yet."
Ken Shipp, Director of Sport, SBS:
"At SBS, football is in our DNA — we've been bringing the World Game to Australians for 40 years. But football is more than what happens on the pitch; it's about community, identity, and the stories we tell. Getting behind NSS is a natural fit for us. Luna Roo captures everything we love about football — determination, teamwork, and the belief that anyone can be a baller. We're proud to help ALIA take this remarkable event to an even wider audience, and we couldn't have asked for a better year to do it."
About National Simultaneous Storytime
Now in its 26th year, National Simultaneous Storytime is held annually by ALIA. Every year, a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops, and locations across Australia and beyond. The event is free to participate in.
Registrations are open now at alia.org.au/nss
About Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller
Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller was selected from 84 submissions from publishers across the country. The story follows Luna Roo as she finds her inner strength in an inspiring tale of courage and determination. Published by Little Book Press, it is the first book in the Animal World Cup series by Fifur Media.
About Niav Owens
Niav has hosted and reported on some of football’s biggest stages, from the FIFA World Cup on SBS in 2022, to multiple FIFA Women’s World Cups for Optus Sport, the Asian Cup in Doha for BeIN Sports, and a number of UEFA European Championships. Niav has been a Host and Reporter on Matildas and Socceroos internationals on Network 10 for a number of years, as well as working on 10’s coverage of domestic football in Australia through the A-Leagues. Niav started her media career with the ABC in both radio and television; working on major sporting events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, Rugby World Cups in London and Japan, the Invictus Games in Sydney, and hosting the ABC's flagship sports program, National Grandstand on ABC Radio.
About SBS
SBS has been the home of football on Australian television for 40 years. As the exclusive Australian broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, SBS will deliver more than 550 hours of coverage, including every match live in HD, full replays, mini-matches and highlights across its platforms.