SERIES TWO MINI CiTV WEEKDAYS FROM NOVEMBER 1ST AT 12.00pm AND 3.15pm ITV1 SUNDAYS FROM NOVEMBER 7TH AT 7.10am

A story a day or he just can't play… SERIES TWO

Introduction ...... Pages 2 - 4 Celebrity storytellers...... Pages 5 - 16 Lucy Goodman, producer/creator...... Pages 17 - 18 Marcus Clarke, puppeteer...... Page 19 Synopses...... Pages 20 - 22 Cast and production credits...... Page 23 Walker books...... Page 24

For further information:

Press Contacts: Lisa Vanoli, on 07899 060230 [email protected]

2 SHARE A BOOK TODAY WITH BOOKABOO

A host of stars are lining up to share a story with CiTV's famous rock puppy BOOKABOO this autumn.

Lorraine Kelly, Johnny Vegas, Myleene Klass and Emilia Fox are among the famous faces who will be climbing on board the bookabus to read with Bookaboo - “a story a day or he just can’t play!”

And these book loving celebrities are also adding their weight to the Share A Book Today campaign which runs in conjunction with Bookaboo and encourages adults to share books with children and put the fun back into reading.

In partnership with the Pre-School Learning Alliance, Bookaboo’s Share A Book Today campaign will donate 13,000 books to nursery schools in some of Britain's most deprived areas. Bookaboo partners hope to seed an early eager enthusiasm for books in the minds of young children, to whom books are not so easily available.

Says Bookaboo creator and Managing Director of Happy Films Lucy Goodman: “I’m thrilled that the Pre-School Learning Alliance is partnering our campaign to get more children and grown-ups sharing books together. Literacy is a life skill no child should be without and the earlier books come into the lives of families with young children, the more likely it is this vital life enhancing skill can be theirs.”

The13-part series, which will be broadcast on Mini CiTV and ITV1, features an array of celebrities visiting Bookaboo back stage to share a story and give him back his Bojo. Then, cheered on by his celebrity guest, the rock puppy can get back on stage and wow us all with the best canine drum solo ever heard. And making their television debut on Bookaboo are two new rockin' band members; Growler on bass and Paws on keyboards. The results are astounding and the

3 new series features some of the best rock anthems ever reviewed in Rolling Bone magazine…

Other celebrities joining Bookaboo this series are Coronation Street's Samia Smith (Maria Connor), actor Keith Allen (Robin Hood), dancer and actor Adam Garcia (Got to Dance), model and actress Tamsin Egerton (St Trinian's),comedian Omid Djalili, chart busting rapper Lethal Bizzle, EastEnders' Maisie Smith (Tiffany Dean) and national storytelling treasure Bernard Cribbins.

Emma Tennant, ITV's controller of digital channels, says "We are delighted to have a second series of this award-winning show. Bookaboo is a truly engaging character whose enthusiasm for stories is infectious. Bookaboo is a series that inspires parents and carers to read stories to their children; a skill that has been shown to be a real bonus for child development."

This series of the multi-award winning BOOKABOO features a variety of picture books from several different publishers.

Commenting on the range of this year's chosen books, Lucy Goodman adds: "We feel as though we have pushed the boundaries this year with a really varied selection of books. From the Burtonesque Spider and the Fly to the hilarious Burger Boy and the touching Mum and Dad Glue – grown ups will be as keen to tune in as their children."

Series two of Bookaboo will feature Lorraine Kelly reading Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray, illustrated by Lee Wildish and published by Hodder; The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood read by Keith Allen, by Toby Forward, illustrated by Izhar Cohen and published by Walker; Ricky Hatton reading Tortoise Vs Hare – The Rematch by Preston Rutt, illustrated by Ben Redlich and published by Meadowside; Myleene Klass reading Don't Wake the Bear, Hare! by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Caroline Pedler, published by LTP; Lethal Bizzle rapping Grill Pan Eddy by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross and published by Anderson Press; Tamsin Egerton reading Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sarah Ogilvie and published by S&S; Jonny Vegas reading Alan Durant's Burger Boy illustrated by Mei Matsuoka, published by Anderson Press; Omid Djalili reading Kisses Are Yuk by Julia Jarman, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters and published by Hodder; Stinky written by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Lynne Chapman and published by Gullane and read by Maisie Smith; Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm read by Bernard Cribbins, by Paul Bright, illustrated by Jane Chapman and published by LTP; Samia Smith reading A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, published by Walker; Emilia Fox reading The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DeTerlizzi and published by S&S; Wolf's Magnificent Master Plan read by Adam Garcia, written and illustrated by Melanie Williamson and published by Hodder. Notes to editors

4 Bookaboo is the multi award winning CiTV children’s show, aimed at three to six year olds and their parents or carers. Its mission is to encourage more grown-ups and children to share books together.

The show’s objectives are: • To highlight the fun in grown-ups and children sharing books together. • Use television and celebrities to promote book sharing in the home by grown-ups of all ages (grandparents, parents, siblings etc). • Reverse old fashioned male perceptions of reading and inspire fathers to share books with their children. • Reverse non-reading patterns of behaviour in ‘hard to reach’ families. • To promote books being for anytime, not just bedtime. • Give all grown-ups the confidence to discover just how emotionally rewarding sharing a book with young children can be.

Innovative in its approach, and with celebrities as examples,Bookaboo has the ability to move its audience to pick up and share a book...perhaps for the first time in their lives.

13,000 books were donated to 'looked after' children aged under six after series one in 2009 through partnership with Booktrust's Letterbox Scheme. A further 13,000 books will be donated on behalf of Bookaboo's Story Time Ambassadors this year In partnership with the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

 Bookaboo has been shown on the CiTV channel 463 times since its launch on the 2nd March 2009.  The highest rating episode brought in 104,000 children viewers (a 5% share of this audience).  The best share for Bookaboo was on the 30th march 2009 when the show attracted an 18% share of children.  In 2009 Bookaboo reached 1.2 million children.  In 2009 Bookaboo averaged 18,000 children viewers and a 3.5% share.  In 2010 Bookaboo has averaged 7,000 children and a 2.3% share, overall reaching 0.4m children

5 Johnny Vegas

Johnny Vegas reads Alan Durant's Burger Boy illustrated by Mei Matsuoka, published by Anderson Press.

Funny man Johnny Vegas takes his duties as a dad very seriously.

"I think reading and reading with your children is becoming a lost art, if you like. I think there are a lot of distractions now. A lot of electronic games and a lot of things to keep children occupied that dumb them down, rather than inspire them and spark that creativity. And I think that's what reading does and reading in turn can lead to writing and just getting your children interested in stories in general and using their imagination," says Johnny.

"My son Michael is seven now but I read to him from about the age of three and tried to get him interested in books. It's more a case now of him being in control, and the fun I have with that is trying to change the storyline and getting corrected by him. I'm too self aware that I don't have the dramatic range. Well it's harsher than any director when your child tells you that you’ve got the voice wrong and that you need more oomph. If you are intimidated and you're reading it very flat, then the book is quite lifeless. If you're too selfconscious to mess about and do all the voices then it's great if you encourage your child to do the voices rather than you. I understand that sometimes it’s far easier to stick on a DVD than to read a book, but I think it's just far more rewarding at the end of the day."

Johnny recalls: "I can remember being bribed at six. I don't specially remember being read to, which is odd, but I remember me dad always trying to encourage me to read. He said he'd give me 5p for every book I read. Take away menus, apparently didn’t count but I have memories of the library, I was taken to the library a lot. By taking something out of the library, reading it, returning it and getting another, it's that limited edition feel to it. I think that's the other thing with reading with your child is that, getting into this is the fun bit, it's not the chore, it's not homework. My son now loves to read to me and he's going through that little stage of loving to really enjoying showing off.

"I'm trying to encourage him, you know he's seven years old and he's already cost me a small fortune, so I am trying to get him to collaborate on a book. I'd love to write it with him, and then years later you go this is what we worked on together. Maybe self publish 40 copies given out as Christmas presents - it doesn’t matter if it actually goes anywhere, it's the process of it and the idea that it comes from books, from reading and from sparking the imagination."

6 Samia Smith

Samia Smith reading A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, published by Walker.

Coronation Street's Samia Smith was so excited at the prospect of reading to Bookaboo that she began practicing her storytelling voices on the journey down to London. "I was practicing the voice for Bear on the way down, on the train, but a few businessmen were giving me funny looks so I had to quieten down a bit!"

Samia is fully aware of the benefits of reading with young children having had her own daughter, Freya, last year.

She says: " I'm a mum myself now and I read to my daughter Freya a lot - even when she was just a few months old months old. She still does appreciate it and likes sort of helping turn the pages and looking at the colours and pictures. Freya's really into fabric books as well and waterproof ones for playing with in the bath. So she's kind of getting used to having books around her allt he time.

"My mother in law used to be a primary school teacher, she's just retired and she's really passionate about reading. In fact she's always bringing Freya new books even though she can't read yet! She's got a store of books already and waiting for her.

"I think definitely grandparents can get involved in reading with children and in fact any grown ups that are in the children's life - like aunties and uncles and even nieces and nephew. I know my niece and nephew would love to read to Freya and spend time doing that with her because it's an enjoyable thing to do."

And the younger the better according to Samia…"I think a lot of parents don't start reading with their children when they are babies because they don't think the children can understand it until they get to primary school age, which is a shame really because I think they can be used to it by the time they go to school, so then it's like a natural progression."

And Samia is confuident that you don't have to be a soap star to be abel to bring a book to life for your children. "My husband is really not anything to do with the acting business and he has the silliest voices of the lot of us. I think you’ve just got to let go of your inhibitions and release your inner chid and just get on their level and then you can enjoy it was well.

And who would Samia choose from the Corrie cast to read to Freya? "Well, she's not in it anymore but I would say Liz Dawn who played Vera Duckworth, she'd be great at story telling. She's fab."

7 Adam Garcia

Adam Garcia reads Wolf's Magnificent Master Plan, written and illustrated by Melanie Williamson and published by Hodder

Actor and dancer Adama Garcia, says:"I absolutely loved books from a really young age. I loved my mum and grandma reading me books and I still have a whole host of books that were my favourites to read as a child."

" My favourites were The Magic Faraway Tree series and Beatrix Potter stories. There are also wonderful aboriginal dreamtime stories illustrated by Dick Roughsey which are amazing."

Growing up in Australia with a Colombian father Adam had all sorts of storytelling influences to inspire him…

"My dad used to tell us lots of stories about his upbringing which were so strange and wonderful. I did have a few books in Spanish too but only a few. I wish he had taught me spanish as Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my favourite authors and I would very much like to read his novels in his native tongue."

Adam has a young niece and nephew in Australia, when visiting his brother does he enjoy sharing stories with them?

"I do. Bedtime stories for my nephew and niece are part of there routine and they love their books. They already have their favourites and I very much enjoy doing all the voices and actions for them when I'm home."

Can you understand how it could be hard for some people who lack confidence in their own literacy to read aloud?

"Yes. But it just requires practice and childrens' books should be a perfect way of gaining confidence."

"With many parents working long hours I think it is important for other family members and friends to get involved in reading with children and encouraging them to love books. It's a great way of bonding and learning."

8 Myleene Klass

Myleene Klass reads Don't Wake the Bear, Hare! by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Caroline Pedler, published by LTP.

Myleene Klass she started reading to her daughter Ava when she was still a bump!

"Language is the key to everything and we take it for granted," she states. " Hearing and repeating is the best way to teach a child words and the best way to do that is with a book. Ava and I read the same books over and over again. She knows how the words and pictures correlate. I'd rather she read a book than watch a DVD because on screen the answers are put before her. With books she uses her imagination.

I find it really sad to hear there are children who have never been read to until they reach school. It's not a race but we feed kids because it is good for their health but if don't feed their brain their imaginations won't grow. Don't feel intimidated by the sound of your own voice – a lot of people don't even want to hear their voice on voicemail. Just start slowly just you and your little one. Read through the story and start exploring the pages. It is bonding, a connection you build together."

Myleene's parents each had their way of reading with her. "My mum would read the books word for word. My dad would read the books and then tell his own version of it, so you then get a different appreciation about how someone else has used their imagination to make the story appropriate for you.

"But Ava's dad was, to begin with, embarrassed to read aloud to her if I was in the room because he's dyslexic, and so he'd have a little bit more trouble with how the words jump around the page and he didn’t want to necessarily be reading her the wrong story or not making sense of it. He just didn’t have his confidence but the strange thing is that children are so accepting, so it's actually built up his confidence. He loves reading stories to her now."

But it is not just family members that have a role to play in reading with children. Myleene continues: " It's also nice when you’ve got a friend who doesn’t have children but wants to try and find that bond or find a way of communicating with your child, and they ask what is Ava's what's her favourite book. I'll say there it is, I'm going to do the washing up, off you go! Because I think it's really good that she has different people reading different stories to her. Everyone does it their own way. There's no right way or wrong way to read a book, it's only your way that counts."

9 Tamsin Egerton

Tamsin Egerton reads Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sarah Ogilvie and published by S&S.

The actress and model Tamsin Egerton admits she struggled with reading as a child. "I wasn’t a very big reader when I was younger and so my mum would often read to me and try very hard to get me involved and I loved it. I used to go on adventures with my mum through these books. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it's I think a really special thing and finding what you're into as well. If you're into adventure or if you're into comedies or if you're into romance

"I remember reading The Silver Sword with my mum aged 11, and I was so proud of myself for having read it, because I wasn’t very confident. I was the kid in class, when everyone had to read a few lines in English, who would be panicking that I'm going to stutter and everyone is going to laugh. Books were my enemy, I just didn’t like them, and getting my mum to read with me, slowly and telling me its fine really helped.

"I am slightly dyslexic, so as a kid I had a vocabulary beyond my years but I read very slowly. I'd find it hard to see the whole word and I'd have to break it up and then I'd stutter - reading a book was a battle.

"Now I'm a big reader, I love reading and I take a book with me wherever I got and I'm constantly on set you know telling people about my book. I mean whatever book I'm reading at the time is the best book in the world and everyone has to read it! And it's down to my parent's perseverance that I'm a great big reader now. It's kind of like you're discovering a new world together, and I think it can be so bonding, I think people underestimate it. A quiet time together, bonding over a story is, I think, invaluable.

And what would Tamsin say to parents worried about their ability to read with their children?

"I would just stick with it because it's so rewarding that time you spend with your child. They're not judging you on how fluid you are and how quickly you can read it. They just want to spend time with their mummy and daddy. If you can enjoy that adventure together even with a few stutters along the way, isn't that even more fantastic at the end of the journey when you’ve both accomplished that book together. I think it's far more rewarding if anything if you both, you know stick at it and work together and help each other out."

10 Keith Allen

Keith Allen reads The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood by Toby Forward, illustrated by Izhar Cohen and published by Walker

Actor Keith Allen confesses he hardly ever read to pop star daughter Lily when she was small.

"I think it's just because I wasn’t a particularly good Dad at the time! I spent more time going out. I do regret it you know. I can't really remember doing a lot. I mean I must have done it obviously but it wasn’t a huge thing. It wasn’t a kind of ritual that we went through where I did one night, Alison did the next and like that, it really wasn’t."

But times have changed and now a dad in his fifties Keith says: " I've got a four year old at home now and I read with her all the time. Our big thing, Teddie will come in in the morning with a book, and say will you read a story, which I will do at weekends but certainly not Mondays to Fridays! Without a shadow of a doubt I think I've grown up and I love reading to my daughter. Angelina Ballerina is huge with Teddie because she has just taken up ballet and she loves Charlie and Lola."

So why does Keith think parents don't read with their children?

"I think it may have something to do with people's sense of time, you know they don't feel that they’ve got time to do it. It's about making your life simpler and easier and engaging with your child, for a lot of people is a chore, unfortunately. It sounds terrible but I think it's true and I guess there's a lot of people can't afford books, to be quite honest. And it's a real shame you know because it is a joy, I think it's a joy for the parent and for the child when you engage in sharing a book.

""I recently did father's play day at nursery and I was amazed at how focused the children are in the reading bit. They loved being told a story. Maybe if it was part of a structured day at home it might be more acceptable to everybody concerned. There's no reason why it should only be shared at bed time, but I think it is a brilliant time. I mean it's the last moment of the day, you get a little cuddle together, you know."

"My father was a sub mariner so I spent a lot of time abroad - Singapore, Australia, everywhere and my parents weren't readers, not at all, we had very- very few books. But I got into. My big favourites were simple things like Famous Five, and the Secret Seven, I would devour those. I thought they were brilliant stories, still do. Absolutely great!"

11 Emilia Fox

Emilia Fox reads The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DeTerlizzi and published by S&S.

Even when your parents are the famous actors Edward Fox and Joanna David story time is still important says actress Emilia Fox.

"When I was little and growing up, my parents always read to me, it was part of the routine of the day and it was having them to myself in a way, and part of being allowed to go into this world with them.

"They're both brilliant storytellers in completely different ways and I have got really strong memories which is why the idea of enthusing parents to read to their children appealed to me. Life seems to be so busy and there's an easy route, with television and with computers and so parents think that their children are occupied and don't really need that sort of one-to-one time. I can only speak for myself but I benefited from it hugely and it’s something that I would like to give to my child."

Emilia was brought up in rural Dorset and didn’t have a television at all.

"My parents always used to say it was because they couldn’t put an aerial on the house but actually it meant that I'd take my friends down to Dorset and we would live in these imaginary worlds, making up these stories and being told stories. We didn’t miss the television at all. I think maybe that's why I became an actress because it's sort of an extension of that really; living in this imaginary world and dressing up and pretending to be other people."

Currently expecting her first child, Emilia says she is yet to share a book with cousin Laurence Fox's son Winston yet but says: "I have godchildren and lots of my friends who have children rope me in to coming round and reading bedtime stories."

"No child will ever judge their parents for reading a book to them; they'll only be delighted by it because it is time together. I think the more you read the more confident you get and the more fun you can have with reading the stories, but really I think it's just simply taking the time to be with your child. You know sharing a book takes 10 minutes out of you day, and it will mean so much because your child will remember that for the rest of their lives."

12 Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly reads Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray, illustrated by Lee Wildish and published by Hodder.

Daybreak presenter Lorraine Kelly hopes her storytelling experience on BOOKABOO will encourage other people to read with their children.

"I'd really like to encourage more people to read to their children especially people who maybe just fell through the net for whatever reasons and have literacy problems, can't read or can't read very well. It's OK, you shouldn't feel ashamed this is something you can put right by seeking help. It would be amazing if I could inspire that."

Lorrraine recalls her favoutite childhood books: "I loved Bill and Ben and Now We are Six and I remember desperately wanting to be six because I was only four. I also had beautifully illustrated nursery rhyme books and then I had the joy of reading them to my daughter Rosie. I still have a lot of my childhood books. I took care of my books, I was a good girl. And classic books like that don't date.

"I feel really sad for people who haven't had the opportunity to read in childhood. It is a way of spending really quality time with your children. When Rosie was little I read her all the new books like Each Peach Pear Plum but also stuff I had read, I was reliving those memories and seeing them through her eyes. So it becomes family tradition."

Talking about Mum and Dad Glue which she reads on BOOKABOO, Lorraine says: "The subject matter of this book is so important; there are an awful lot of families who are broken which kids would like to glue back together.

"I found it incredibly moving and deceptively simply. It has a lovely message to make people stop and think what it's like for kids but it's also really hopeful. "

She continues: "I read everything as I was growing up; The Famour Five, Just William, Mallory Towers. Aged 11 or 12 I was reading books by George Orwell even War and Peace and I still am a voracious reader. I read very quickly which is great for my job as often I've got to read a lot of material and briefs overnight so it helps. I travel a lot and always have a book in my bag."

13 Lethal Bizzle

Lethal Bizzle raps Grill Pan Eddy by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross and published by Anderson Press.

Lethal Bizzle knows the importance of reading. Without words he wouldn’t be able to rap.

"To be honest with you when I was young my parents didn’t really read to me as much as I would have liked to. I remember really being into comics and stuff like that, but actually being read to was very rare. My parents they was working, you know coming home from work tired and me being a boy you know I was real boisterous I liked playing football, I was playing computer games but looking back now you know I kind of wished I did get to read more too because it's really important to be able to read man, read and write. If I didn’t know how to read I wouldn’t be able to be a rapper. If I can't read how am I going to rap? How am I going to sing my lyrics, how am I going to perform? You know definitely need to now how to read to do anything in life, but its essential for what I do, because so we kind of intertwine words and make them rhyme."

He continues:" I started rapping in the playground for fun at around 11. I was a real fun kid. I used to like running, used to like girls, I used to rap and the rap thing used to get me all the girls. So I'd be in the playground rapping, just about anything like just free styling…everyone would gather round, everyone would think you were so cool and stuff. It just became a hobby it wasn't like 'I want to be a rap star when I get older'. Exactly like with the reading thing you know, like if you read from a young age and you get used to just doing it, it just becomes natural, you know what I'm saying. And that's what happened with the music I just carried on doing it and then people started liking what I was doing and then just developed from there."

Bizzle believes some parents don't realise how important it is to read with their children…"I think the little things can make a huge difference so just by reading to them before bed gets them into the habit of reading. If you start at a young age and they're used to reading the more you encourage them the more it will just be a natural thing, it wouldn’t even be an issue to learn how to read. When I have my kids man I'm definitely going to be paying attention and you know just giving them so much reading knowledge every night without fail definitely.

"I think reading in itself is an enjoyable thing. If you’ve got an imagination as well and you're reading a book, you can actually visualise the words being said to you, you know can definitely twist it into a real kind of cool thing to do, you know it's like you know watching a movie. You can go to so many different places with reading."

14 Omid Djalili

Omid Djalili reads Kisses Are Yuk by Julia Jarman, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters and published by Hodder.

Comedian Omid Djalili can sympathise with the character in Kisses are Yuk. "It is about a child who gets kissed a lot and coming from an Iranian background you have to endure that all the time. It is what I experienced with aunties and uncles coming to visit... and in our culture it’s about grabbing the cheeks too. Dah!"

And Omid thought BOOKABOO was the perfect way to encourage fathers to read with their children. "I was raised in the Baha'i faith where it's very clear in the writings that it's the father's job to teach the child to read and write. So I took that quite seriously. I certainly read to my children as much as I could. I used to stand there and point my toe and just read stories and try and make them as entertaining as possible and now they do accents and they understand the joy of doing voices, just through my enthusiasm.

"My parents were very busy people so they used to often just leave me alone in a room. I mean it sounds quite neglectful but it was good for my imagination. Through sheer non-communication with my parents I think I just created my own world. I think that's what a child does, you create minds and worlds. Nobody actually read that to me but there were books that were lying around in my household and I read them and I remember being an eight year old child and I could hear all the voices in my head. I couldn’t do the voices but I could see it very clearly, so as soon as I had children who were old enough I thought I can now unleash on them what I heard in my head - it's the most wonderful thing storytelling."

"I think because a lot of people probably feel disempowered to read stories because they feel they're not being entertaining enough. Children these days probably say 'come on dad give us an accent or give us something'.

But I think if you prepare, read it yourself and see the joy of it yourself, then you can transmit that better to a child. So I would say just familiarise yourself with the text beforehand - which is what actors do. You just try and learn it and think of how you could it to make it entertaining.

I think most parents don't want their kids to be bored, so you like your children to laugh and you like your children to be engaged, so it's about putting energy into it as well. I think a lot of the times dads come home and they're very tired. I remember falling asleep with my face in the middle of a book, snoring loudly, and I did that a couple of times and I remember being woken up by my wife saying come on, off to bed now to me!"

15 Bernard Cribbins

Bernard Cribbins reads Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm by Paul Bright, illustrated by Jane Chapman and published by LTP.

Bernard Cribbins is synonymous with storytelling and is well aware of the joy sharing books can bring to peole of all ages.

He recalls: "I once had a very moving experience while on my way to a job. I got into a cab and told him where I wanted to go and this guy, a real modern day eastender, was chatting away asking me about my work. I said I was on my way to do a programme about Roald Dahl and the driver started telling me how he'd loved listening to stories on Jackanory and that the show made him want to learn to read. That stuck with me. It had probably kept him out of trouble.

"I'm hopeful Bookaboo, although it is very different in style, will do the same thing for a new audience. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Bernard wasn't lucky enough to have classic tales read to him when he was small but he says: "I'm lucky, I discovered books such as Winnie The Pooh and Paddington Bear while introducing them to the nation's children on radio and television. It was wonderful and I still enjoy them now.

"Back in the day lots of actors wanted to work on Jackanory – it was an absolutely wonderful job; great fun a really satisfying. You get to do all those voices from queens to grunting pigs."

But he laments: "To an extent storytelling has been lost with far too much reliance on technology. But storytelling still works. Mums and dads can do it at home. It is so important to introduce young children to books, it encourages them to start to read themselves. The number of kids today who can't read properly is very sad. "

Citing Tarka the Otter as a childhood favourite Bernard says: "I was born and brought up the industrial town of Oldham, so the first opportunity I got I was out in the fields. It was a great escape all that space and nature. Then I discovered Tarka and I found it favourite fascinating. It opened up a whole new world to me. That's what books can do..."

16 Maisie Smith

Maisie Smith reads Stinky written by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Lynne Chapman and published by Gullane.

Nine year old Eastenders actress Maisie Smith is book mad. She has dozens of books all over the house which is good as she doesn't go to the library very often.

"You have to be quiet in libraries which is really hard for me as I'm very loud. I would probably come last in a 'who can stay quiet the longest' competition!" laughs Maisie.

A big fan of the iCarly books, Maisie says she often reads before bed but when she was younger recalls both her mum and dad reading with her.

"Mum was better because she used to do all the noises. She would make the all the different voices and it just sounds better. It just sounds like she is telling the story whilst my dad's just reading it. It is always more interesting and funny with silly voices!"

And Maisie believes it is really important for parents to read to young children.

"If there were parents who didn't read books to their daughter I would say to them 'why aren't you reading to her? She's never going to learn how to read if you don't read to her'.

"And no adult should ever be scared of reading to a child because they are a lot older than them. Although when I turned eight I didn't need anyone to read to me anymore because I could read myself."

17 Lucy Goodman Producer/Creator

Producer and Bookaboo creator Lucy Goodman shares her inspiration for the series: "I loved being read to as a child and when I came across a news piece about the decline in parental reading in the home and read the startling statistic that only 16% of children were read to, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I, as a TV producer, could use the medium of television to inspire both parents and children to share books together. Could I make any inroads into reversing the decline?

"I remember being read to a lot as a child by both my parents and my grandmother. I was read to until quite a late age – well past the stage where I could also read on my own, at least 10 or 11 . I think I was lucky in this respect, as so many parents seem to stop reading the minute their children can read for themselves. I can still remember certain books – Robert the Rose Horse and Harry the Dirty Dog were favourite picture books. And my mother would sometimes make up stories about my favourite teddy bear. As I was lying down, she would make my teddy walk and talk and dance on the bed clothes, so I guess this was my earliest experience of using puppeteering and storytelling together."

How has research and experience informed Lucy's creation of the second series?

"I carried out a lot of research which completely informed the first series of Bookaboo in terms of appealing to parents as well as children, being careful to appeal to boys and not necessarily making it a bedtime show. “A book is for anytime, not just for beddy time” says Bookaboo. I knew that to attract children not necessarily that keen on books, I needed to draw them into a show that didn’t overtly look like a book show! This is where Bookaboo as a character, as a drumming rock puppy, with his rock ‘n roll world draws the audience into the show well before we actually reach the book section. For series two, it was time to make this world bigger. From the very outset, I’d always envisaged an entire band supporting Bookaboo so we meet Growler on Bass Guitar and Paws on Keyboards. They’re Bookaboo’s friends, finding him celebrity fans to share books with but importantly, they enabled me to include more music in series two, something I’m as passionate about as books. There are some seriously wicked Bookaboo songs in this series."

And how does Bookaboo differ from other children's programming?

"I think Bookaboo has more grown up appeal than most children’s programmes. This is intentional. There seemed no point in inspiring an audience of three to

18 six year olds to get hooked on books, if their parents weren’t going to be on the same page. This is why our celebrity guests are so important.

"I don’t suppose most children under six know who Johnny Vegas is – though they’ll love his reading of Burger Boy. But their dads, granddads or uncles will. Seeing Johnny might just might make a Dad sit down and watch too. If that Dad, who previously hadn’t really thought about sharing books, decided that if Johnny was doing it, then why shouldn’t he, then for me, the show is working. Our celebrity guests are essentially Story Time ambassadors – they’re there for the grown ups whereas Bookaboo is there for the children.

"I completely understand someone’s reticence about reading aloud with children. If it’s not something you are used to yourself, or you don’t feel particularly confident about your own reading skills, then reading aloud can make you feel pretty self conscious. But honestly, you don’t have to have gone to drama school or have a university degree and you don’t need to be the world’s biggest extrovert to share a book with young children. I believe that part of what a child will love, is simply the fact that they’re sharing time with you. Sharing books with a child could gift them a life long love of books, and that is I believe a truly valuable gift.

How do you choose the books that are read in the show?

I’m sent between 400 and 500 books to choose just 13 from and it’s tough. I’m first of all looking for great books to share aloud. Books that are both fun for children as well as an adult. I’m inspired by great storytelling and wonderful illustration. I love it when text is used imaginatively – it allows me to add sound an animate the words which for me is important. I look for variety across the series so that some are funny, some are scary, some are warm and cuddly and some are really quite moving.

" This time around I felt I was able to push the boundaries a little book wise. I was deeply moved by a book called Mum and Dad Glue and perhaps armed with confidence that the success of series one had given me, I felt this book had something important to say both to parents and children and with the right guest, in this case, Lorraine Kelly, I felt it should be aired."

Lucy adds; "Bookaboo storytellers have such a huge role and bring so much to this show. Without a doubt, they entertain with great storytelling. Johnny Vegas and Omid Djalilly will make you laugh, Emilia Fox is quite mesmerising and Lorraine Kelly will bring a lump to your throat and yet is so reassuring. I have tried to find a truly eclectic and varied guest list so that we can inspire as wide an adult audience as possible."

19 Marcus Clarke Puppeteer

Marcus Clarke is the voice and the man behind Bookaboo. How did he become a puppeteer?

"I was a Stage Manager on the West End Musical Little Shop of Horrors and part of my job was to look after the puppet plant and also the puppeteer. When he left we needed to replace him I studied the puppeteering of the plant and auditioned. There were many raised eyebrows but I can be pretty thick skinned. I got the part and from that a puppeteering role in the Little Shop of Horrors Film. I then gained a place on Jim Henson's TV Puppeteering Workshop. Jim liked my comedy puppet performances. And after that Henson's gave me roles and I became lifelong friends with his son, Brian Henson. Brian taught me a lot about puppeteering."

And what is the best thing about working on Bookaboo?

"Bookaboo is the closest thing to me as a child. Though I had a broader East End Cockney accent back then. Also our producer Lucy Goodman who has an uncanny ability to get the very best out of everybody and everything while also being one of the nicest, most sincere and honest people I've ever met. Watching Lucy demonstrating to Lethal Bizzle how she thinks a story should be rapped was priceless."

And Marcus is boosted by the chance to collaborate with the guest storytellers.

"Meeting so many very generous celebrities who are all delightful and hardworking has been a real boost. Their believing in Bookaboo makes my job so much easier."

But it is not all television and theatre for Marcus. He also engages in some very serious work with children.

"Working with Children who have SEN (Special Education Needs) or have been seriously let down by adults is always challenging. Having spent several of my young years in care and in orphanages, I understand that isolation. Often these children are not used to or capable of expressing themselves conventionally. But a puppet is the perfect projection tool. It can give a voice to those who don't have one. And the relationship with the puppet can allow children to perform through them; to relate to them, as other creatures, animals, children, emotions, or spirits."

20 Synopses

Episode Johnny Vegas

Bookaboo can't go on stage until he has had a great, funny, scary, exciting or brilliant story. Growler understands…for him its sausages that get him through the day. And the band perform his heartfelt ode to sausages. Then funny man Johnny Vegas rocks up with a book about food that could put him off burgers for life. He has come to read Bookaboo Burger Boy by Alan Durant, illustrated by Mei Matsuoka.

Episode Myleene Klass

Bookaboo decides to take a doggie holiday. But his chilling is interrupted by Growler and Paws who want him back on stage pronto – the fans are going wild! As Bookaboo tries to hide from his band mates a puppy chase ensues but luckily presenter, musician and model Myleene Klass arrives with the Bookabag to read Don't Wake the Bear, Hare! by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Caroline Pedler.

Episode Emilia Fox

Bookaboo is hiding. He can't go back on stage until he has had his story. Paws searches high and low for his band mate but Bookaboo stays out of sight …until Paws manages to sniff him out. But Paws has good news. Beautiful actress Emilia Fox has come to see Bookaboo to read him a cautionary tale that her mum used to read to her when she was small…The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DeTerlizzi.

Episode Samia Smith

Boing, Bonig, Boing! Bookaboo is attempting to beat his own personal puppy pogo stick record of 166 bounces. But he is interrupted by the arrival of lovely Coronation Street soap bubble Samia Smith who has come to share a book with him…A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton.

21 Episode Lorraine Kelly

Bookaboo is reading the band's fanmail when he comes across an interesting parcel addressed to Growler and Paws. What can it be? And why is it making a drumming kind of sound? Bookaboo is worried the band want to replace him with a drum machine but when he discovers the truth it is time for a big band hug. Then up-with-the-lark Daybreak presenter Lorraine Kelly arrives to read Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray, illustrated by Lee Wildish.

Episode Keith Allen

Bookaboo is demonstrating the fine art of crowd surfing using a ball pool. But his attempts don't quite go to plan. Fortunately he is interrupted by comedian, actor and musician Keith Allen who understands that sometimes you lose your bojo and the only thing that will get it back is a story. Keith gets into character to read Bookaboo The Wolf's Story: What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood by Toby Forward, illustrated by Izhar Cohen.

Episode Tamsin Egerton

Bookaboo is at the centre of a rock 'n' roll scandal. He is caught red pawed by the paparazzi with one of Growler's sausages – but he was only clearing them up not stealing them! The arrival of impossibly cool model and actress Tamsin Egerton helps, especially as she is going to read Bookaboo a story about a dog who thinks he is a ballerina…Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sarah Ogilvie.

Episode Adam Garcia

Paws is trying to coax Bookaboo back on stage to play the drums with a whacky new hypnosis machine. Unfortuantely it turns Growler into a clucking chicken and Paws into a bouncy kangaroo but Bookaboo still needs his story to give him back his Bojo. Luckily tip top tap dancer Adam Garcia is on hand to read him Wolf's Magnificent Master Plan, written and illustrated by Melanie Williamson.

22 Episode Bernard Cribbins

When Bookaboo meets his biggest fan he discovers that while imitation might be the biggest form of flattery it is still a bit scary to come face-to-face with a Welsh version of yourself! Fortunately Bernard Cribbins is on hand and he is a man who knows that stories are soothing and magical things. Bernard reads Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm by Paul Bright, illustrated by Jane Chapman.

Episode Omid Djalili

Bookaboo, Growler and Paws reminisce about life on the road in a full-on 'Jon Bon Jovi eat-your-heart-out' rock ballad. Although musically comforted, Bookaboo is still story-less, until Iranian comedian and huge Bookaboo fan, Omid Djalili arrives with the bookabag. Omid shares ‘Kisses are Yuk’ by Julia Jarman and Erica-Jane Waters with gusto.

Episode Maisie Smith

Bookaboo is a bit peckish. He is trying to order a delicious onion gravy pizza with extra biscuits on his I-Bone but he must have pressed the wrong key because what turns up are LOTS of his favourite pizza. Too many for just one puppy. And they keep on coming. Thank goodness pint sized Eastenders actress Maisie Smith turns up to read Stinky written by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Lynne Chapman.

Episode Lethal Bizzle

Bookaboo is trying to enjoy a bit of hush backstage when Paws points out to him that as part of a world famous band he needs to abso-puppy-lutely embrace noise. Cue the most awesome rock video known to puppy kind. It is Bookaboo The Anthem. And as luck would have it Bookaboo's guest storyteller is a chart busting musician himself. Lethal Bizzle arrives to rap Grill Pan Eddy by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross.

23 Production Team

Created By...... Lucy Goodman Executive Producers...... Emma Tennant Producer ...... Lucy Goodman Directors...... Lucy Goodman, Ian Emes Line Producer ...... Kirsten Eller Production Supervisor...... Audrey Stevenson Writers ...... Alex Williams, Laura Beaumont, Paul Larson Production Designers ...... Fran Cooper, David Bryan, Ian Emes Director of Photography...... Dom Kersey Hair and Make up...... Hilary Martin Editor ...... Matthew Tabern Animator...... Karen Ullman, Matthew Hood, Mark Nute, Jonah Buckley, Nick Gibson Composers...... Mark Dyson

Puppets

Puppeteer, Bookaboo...... Marcus Clarke Wrangler, Bookaboo...... Annetta Broughton Puppeteer, Growler ...... Paul Andrejco Puppeteer, Paws...... Brian Herring Puppet Wrangler ...... Helly McGrother

24 PRESS RELEASE

Bookaboo is the BAFTA-award winning rock puppy who loves a story. Bring some colour to the antics of Bookaboo and his band mates Growler and Paws as they share stories and get ready to rock.

Bookaboo: Dogs in Disguise, published 6th September, £3.99 Bookaboo needs to find a disguise to get his story a day – join him by sharing the mini storybook inside. Bookaboo: Stickers, Drums and Rock &Roll, published 6th September, £3.99 Join the world-famous rock star drumming puppy in this fantastic book packed with brilliant stickers and rocktastic activities. Bookaboo: Puppies in the Pound, published 6th September, £4.99 A mix-up at the dog pound threatens Bookaboo's hometown gig. Save the day by sharing the mini storybook inside with Bookaboo. Bookaboo: Colour and Do, published 6th October, £3.99 Fantastic colouring and puzzle fun from the world-famous rock drumming puppy, Bookaboo. Bookaboo: Pop-Up Pup Idol, published 1st November, £9.99 An exciting pop-up giftbook for all Bookaboo fans featuring the Bookaboo theme song.

For more information please contact Alice Burden on 020 7396 2458 or [email protected]

About Walker Walker is the world's leading independent publisher of children's books. Working with the best authors and illustrators, Walker Books is renowned for its truly original publishing and outstanding quality. Home of books for all ages, from babies to teenagers, Walker publishes the books that children grow up with and always remember. Walker's licensing division manages licensing activity across several Walker brands including Maisy and all other Lucy Cousins properties; Guess How Much I Love You and new property Tilly and Friends. Walker Productions was launched in 2007 to develop Walker content for other media platforms. Walker is part of a vibrant international group that includes Candlewick Press in America, and Walker Australia. Walker is home to many award-winning authors and illustrators including Anthony Horowitz, Helen Oxenbury, Michael Morpurgo, John Burningham, Allan Ahlberg, Lucy Cousins and Michael Rosen. Further information can be found at www.walker.co.uk

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