Stoke City's mascot Pottermus is taking on a new role away from the bet365 Stadium, starring in a children's book series designed to tackle stubbornly low literacy rates across Stoke-on-Trent.

Author Tom Watt, best known to older generations for playing Lofty in EastEnders during the 1980s and for writing David Beckham's autobiography My Side, has written a series of picture books featuring Pottermus alongside Port Vale mascot Boomer. The first title, Meet the Mascots, is aimed at children aged three to five, with further books in the pipeline for primary-age readers.

A city with a literacy challenge

The project comes against a sobering backdrop. New government figures show the number of children reading for pleasure in England is at a 20-year low. In Stoke-on-Trent specifically, only 70 per cent of children meet the expected reading level by the end of primary school, compared with a national average of 75 per cent. Watt, who was raised with strong connections to the area, said he wanted to use the universal appeal of football to close that gap.

"The big picture is football kind of cuts across age groups, cuts across backgrounds, cuts across everything," Watt told the BBC. "It's everywhere in modern British culture."

He added that grounding the stories in a recognisable local setting was central to the thinking. "Having this Stoke-on-Trent background, so that it's not just about football, it's about football in Stoke, about two great clubs and, in the case of Meet the Mascots, two great mascots. Here's a subject that children and parents can share."

Connecting through familiar faces

The books are illustrated by local artist Matt Buckingham, whose work brings the familiar club characters to life on the page. Watt and Buckingham have already taken the project into schools, spending what the author described as a "fantastic day" at a school in Bentilee, running sessions with a reception class to read the book aloud and demonstrating how Buckingham creates his illustrations.

"It's all about connecting with children," Watt said, reflecting on the visit. He came away encouraged by what he saw, dismissing any suggestion that appetite or aptitude is the barrier to better literacy outcomes in the city.

"I don't think there's a lack of will, I don't think there's a lack of ability or anything like that," he said. "I think personally you only need to connect with one book, one story, one character, and that can be you and books for life, because there is no connection like reading."

Available in libraries across the city

The books will be made available through libraries across Stoke-on-Trent, giving families free access to the series regardless of means. For Championship supporters in the Potteries, the initiative offers a reminder that the club's reach extends well beyond ninety minutes on a Saturday afternoon; Pottermus, it turns out, has a literary life to lead.

Stoke City are one of the most historically significant clubs in the second tier, and community projects such as this one underline the continuing bond between a football club and its city. Whether it encourages even a handful of young Potters fans to pick up a book for pleasure would, in Watt's words, be enough.

Frequently asked

Who is Pottermus, Stoke City's mascot?
Pottermus is Stoke City's official club mascot, a hippopotamus character who represents the club at home matches and community events at the bet365 Stadium.
What is the Meet the Mascots book about?
Meet the Mascots is a children's picture book written by Tom Watt and illustrated by Matt Buckingham, featuring Stoke City mascot Pottermus and Port Vale mascot Boomer. It is aimed at children aged three to five and is designed to encourage reading in Stoke-on-Trent.
Where can I get the Stoke City mascot book?
According to the BBC report, the books will be available from libraries across Stoke-on-Trent, giving local families free access to the series.