Author read-alongs and audiobooks
With schools closed, many children’s book authors are live-streaming their work – and the results are “rather wonderful”, said Jen Barton Packer on Culture Whisper. On Facebook, Julia Donaldson has launched a weekly series, Julia Donaldson and Friends, bringing her stories to life with the help of singing, puppets and guests. Children’s laureate Cressida Cowell is reading her bestseller How to Train Your Dragon in videos released daily on her YouTube channel. Oliver Jeffers, author of favourites including Lost and Found, is streaming himself on Instagram every day at 6pm. And for those with an artistic leaning, the Draw With Rob sessions by illustrator Rob Biddulph (on robbiddulph.com) “are a must for any child who’s ever wanted to draw a dinosaur or a sausage dog”.
Audiobooks are another excellent option during lockdown, says Nola Ojomu in The Sun, and it “helps that many have been made free for listeners”. David Walliams is releasing a free audio story each day, from his World’s Worst Kids series, on worldofdavidwalliams.com. Amazon, meanwhile, is streaming hundreds of books for free through its Audible Stories site, and has promised to continue doing so for as long as schools are closed. Categories include “Littlest Listeners” (featuring Beatrix Potter and the Just So Stories), “Elementary” ( Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Secret Garden) and “Folk and Fairy Tales”.
There’s a wealth of bookish material for children elsewhere online too, said Nicolette Jones in The Sunday Times. The BookTrust’s HomeTime hub hosts free books and videos, games, quizzes and writing tips. Puffin is relaunching its excellent podcast for children, while publisher Nosy Crow’s website offers a free downloadable book by The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler that explains the coronavirus crisis.