Preschool television channel Sprout will offer the U.S. premiere of The Gruffalo’s Child on December 22nd. Based on the classic children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the new CG-animated special is directed by Uwe Heidschoetter and Johannes Weiland.
A sequel to the Oscar-nominated The Gruffalo, the special follows a little Gruffalo who ignores her father’s warnings and tiptoes out into the snow in search of the Big Bad Mouse. Helena Bonham Carter, Shirley Henderson, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson and Rob Brydon round up the top-notch British voice cast. Produced by Martin Pope and Michael Rose and animated by the team at Magic Light Pictures and Studio Soi, the special first aired on the BBC on Christmas Day last year.
Spout will air the original special The Gruffalo, along with its sequel back-to-back on Saturday, Dec. 22nd, Wednesday, Dec. 26 and Thursday Dec. 27 at 1 p.m., 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. EST.
Among Sprout’s other holiday-themed programing this month is the annual Snooze-a-Thon during which preschoolers can catch favorite episodes of Sesame Street, The Wiggles, Pajanimals, LazyTown and Berenstain Bears from 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve (12/24) through 6 a.m. Christmas morning; and the Tuesday night Holiday Movies of the Week at 6 p.m. (repeats on Fridays at 1 p.m, 4:30 and 5 p.m. ET) featuring titles such as The Little Engine That Could, Caillou’s Happy Holidays, Barney’s Christmas Star and Bob the Builder: Snowed Under.
For more info, visit www.gruffalo.us and www.sproutonline.com.
