Katie Morag is coming to TV

Doesn't she look just the way Mairi Hedderwick's Katie Morag should look? I think so!

Cherry Campbell from Glasgow has landed the lead role in Katie Morag, a new CBeebies drama. Well done Cherry! twitter.com/BBCScotland/st…
— BBC Scotland (@BBCScotland) April 23, 2013

Polly Dunbar: online event 25/4/13

Image courtesy of Scottish Book Trust

Those of you familiar with the Author's Live programme will be delighted to know that Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland Learning are about to bring you a new one (suitable for 4-7s) with Polly Dunbar. This will be streamed live from the BBC Scotland Learning website on Thursday, April 25th at 11am and available to watch again later the same day.

So what's it about? Polly will be bringing her latest book, Arthur's dream boat to life with the help of Long Nose Puppets - see them above - a touring company which she co-founded, and which comprises "a variety of charismatic hand-puppets, full body costumes and masks". Sounds great!

In my last post, I wrote about two picture books on penguins - a third I could very well have included is by Polly Dunbar. Penguin won several awards in 2007/8 and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal - it's also one of the other books that have been adapted by Long Nose. Coincidentally, while researching this post, I noticed that there is a lovely piece about Pink! by Lynne Rickards, one of the books I wrote about before (it's about Patrick, a pink penguin) on the SBT blog, specifically about creating the costumes for Pink! The Musical. Puppets are involved here too - the themes of the day: penguins and puppets!

Try your local library for books by Polly Dunbar or, if you are a member of the University of Strathclyde, there are several in the library catalogue there, including Arthur's dream boat.

PS 19/4/13 - juts noticed Polly Dunbar's article from yesterday  on the Guardian's children's book site about the top 10 picture books that would make great puppet shows.