Celebrate World Children's Day with Special 'Leon's Reef' Assembly of Kindness

This World Children's Day, Friday 20 Nov 2026, there is an opportunity for all Primary Schools across the UK to have a very unique and important storytime beamed into their school assembly halls.

In collaboration with global non-profit charity PADI AWARE Foundation, who work tirelessly to protect our marine environment, restore the ocean's health, and combat plastic pollution, author and campaigning TV vet Dr Marc Abraham OBE will read out his brand new children's picture book 'Leon's Reef' - LIVE!

'Leon's Reef', published in June 2026, was written by 'Marc the Vet'. It follows a little yellow boxfish called Leon around his reef, introducing pupils, ideally aged 3-6 years old, to Leon's various friendship pairings who all look and behave differently but need each other for survival (symbiosis), before finding himself in trouble when caught in a plastic bag!

This highly entertaining and colourful story is perfect for World Children's Day, and promotes inclusion, anti-bullying, kindness, looking and behaving differently but working together, plus the importance of picking up rubbish, disposing of it responsibly, and protecting our environment. This 'Leon's Reef' storytime will also be supported by additional materials including colouring sheets, word searches, and cut-out-and-colour masks for the children to make and wear.

Springfield Infant School, Worthing

Register your school

World Children's Day helps raise awareness about child abuse, exploitation, and discrimination, while ensuring access to proper healthcare, education, and safe environments. We all know that a child's safety and happiness starts with kindness, so please consider registering for this FREE online event and bringing Leon, his friends, and his inspiring journey of kindness right into your schools.

Free classroom pack

Twelve sheets, all A4, free to download and print whether or not you join us on the day. Colouring sheets, word searches, a search-and-find, and cut-out-and-colour masks for the children to make and wear.

Or take just what you need:
Masks and headbands  7 pages
Colouring sheets and search-and-find  3 pages
Word searches  2 pages

What schools have said

"The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to Leon's Reef. Marc's enthusiasm and storytelling really captured their imagination. Many thanks again for such a wonderful experience for our children."

Moulsecoomb Primary School, Brighton

"What a fantastic morning we had - our children are still talking about it!"

Windlesham School & Nursery, Brighton

"The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story as Dr Marc brought the adventure to life. They were fascinated by learning about the ocean and the amazing animals. We had some fantastic discussions about how we can all help protect our oceans, with suggestions ranging from putting rubbish in the bin to looking after our environment every day."

House on the Dials, Brighton

More from schools who have had the storytime

Leon gets caught in a plastic bag. That part is not made up.

PADI AWARE Foundation is the non-profit arm of the world's largest diving community. Divers have logged 2.7 million pieces of debris from the seafloor across 120 countries, and that data now sits in front of negotiators at the UN Global Plastics Treaty.

PADI AWARE exists to transform the world's largest diving community into the world's most powerful force for ocean conservation. The children in your hall on 20 November are the next part of it.