The crowns feature in this year's storybook, The Brothers Quibble, which follows lead character Spalding's reaction to the addition of a new baby to the family.

For the time ever, a video link was used enabling the children to enjoy having the story read to them by the book's author Aaron Blabey.

"It's a good way of introducing technology to children," assistant children librarian Emma Ciechan said of the video link.

"We also read a story out aloud [Chatterbox by Margaret Wild] so it's a mix of technology and old fashioned story telling.

"When you read a story out aloud, it's exciting. It brings the story to life and gets children interested in reading themselves and teaches them a love for books.

"It's a wonderful initiative."

National Simultaneous Story Time is an annual event which aims to encourage young children to read and enjoy books, celebrate Australian authors and the role of the public library.