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MEET THE CHILDREN'S AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS
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| Anthony welcomes April and Raurie |
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Nicholas, April and Raurie
at Buckingham Palace |
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IBBY, The International Board on Books for Young People
“This series of DVDs presents a unique and inspiring look at the lives and works of celebrated authors and illustrators. Interviewed by children the authors divulge their motivation, influences and working practices in an approachable and accessible manner. The resources provide a wonderful opportunity for schoolchildren to ‘meet’ famous authors in their own homes and importantly in adult-free zones. All those who loves children’s literature and their authors will be hooked and inspired by this series, regardless of their age.”
ROEHAMPTON UNIVERSITY, Fiona Collins, Subject Leader, English Education
“These DVDs bring the authors/illustrators to life for the child viewer in a most fascinating and interesting way. Watching such programmes can only be beneficial in relation to a child’s attitude to books and reading.”
LANCASHIRE SCHOOL LIBRARY SERVICES, Jake Hope
“Truly terrific resources, highly inspiring and insightful too. In comparison with the price of an author visit these are a real snip and of course have the added bonus of allowing teachers and pupils to go back and really digest elements of the background and advice that each of the authors produce. Fantastic! I can’t praise them highly enough. In my opinion the DVDs mark one of the most exciting developments in the children’s book world for some time because they tie into the ethos of ‘television’ and ‘celebrity’ which are clearly very large constituent parts of popular culture and which also surround children at every turn. Rather than seeing these as the rather clichéd ‘threat’ to reading that is so often traditionally associated, instead they become a springboard and a catalyst. The power of this cannot be too highly stated!”
TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT. Written by Huw Thomas, Head of Emmaus Primary School, Sheffield
“Each DVD in this thoughtful series gives authors time to talk about their work. However, the focus is on the crafts of writing and illustrating. Similarly, the biographical material is mainly there as part of the exploration of the creative act. The result is a resource that will inspire children’s creativity.Another strength of the DVDs is the quality of interviewing by a group of children, who manage to inject confidence and chattiness into the task. Add interesting locations and the result is a set of relaxed encounters with a genuinely likeable group of people. The DVDs are good value especially if you buy the set and use it as the focus of a book week.”
WRITE AWAY, Nikki Gamble
“Following an author’s visit, teachers often bear witness to improved motivation and an increase in the quality and liveliness of children’s writing and drawing.
It is now possible to experience some of the insights that writers and illustrators bring to their work with this enchanting set of DVDs from Children’s Authors TV.
Thoughtfully produced, each DVD creates a unique portrait of the writer and includes reflections on childhood influences, the importance of place, working practices and school visits. The films have an air of informality created by the clever use of setting, music and children’s interviews, which make them especially appealing to children in Key Stages 1 & 2.
Each film is brimming with ideas that teachers might incorporate into their lessons, whether it’s playing Anthony Browne’s ‘Shape Game’ or making sand sculptures that can be brought to life in the children’s stories, like Jane Ray’s mermaid. Outstanding value and highly recommended!”
THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN, Chris Brown
‘THE WORLD OF JANE RAY ‘DVD: “Here is a good quality DVD with a focus on youngsters talking with the artist/author as she explains her techniques and so on. In the opening school setting Jane ray’s obvious experience and innate skills in directly communicating with these younger primary aged children is delightful and very informative. The resulting DVD is in effect an author visit to use exactly when wanted and to be paused and repeated at will. The programme moves on to a revelatory visit to Jane’s childhood home and a magical sand mermaid created, and taken back to her own, on a beach. Can You Catch a Mermaid is featured from concept to told tale. Other productions in this series feature Anne Fine, Catherine & Laurence Anholt, Anthony Browne, Jacqueline Wilson and Nicholas Allan and all can be very highly recommended.” |
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