BBC Worldwide has signed deals with children’s publishers Barefoot Books and Ladybird Books to commission a series of short films based on eight popular fables and read by CBeebies presenters in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Poland. The shorts will appear as additions to the Story Time sections of the international CBeebies sites and will also appear on the CBeebies Facebook fan pages, on BBC Worldwide’s pay TV channels and on-demand services, the CBeebies British Airways’ in-flight channel, and on the CBeebies On The Go free app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad available across the Asia Pacific market.
The Tales from Ladybird include Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Magic Porridge Pot, Cinderella, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Shopping With Dad, The Gigantic Turnip and Emily’s Tiger. The digital launch has already begun, but the shorts will debut on TV in February.
“These stories are a lovely addition to the CBeebies’ international portfolio,” says Henrietta Hurford-Jones, director of CBeebies Investment at BBC Worldwide in a statement. “It’s very important that children in all our markets can relate on a very personal level to what they see on screen and these stories bring them universally loved tales with the added familiarity of their local presenters.”
