''Bookaboo'' is a

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

created and produced by Lucy Goodman of Happy Films and co-directed by Ian Emes. The show incorporates puppets, celebrities, picture books, songs, and animation. The main character is Bookaboo, a renowned

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

puppy who travels worldwide with his band. Lucy Goodman developed the show in response to her research on the decline of parental reading in households. The aim of Bookaboo is to encourage both children and adults to enjoy sharing books together. The series is available for streaming on

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

in the United Kingdom and has aired on

ABC2 ABC Family is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television network. The channel broadcasts a range of family and teen entertainment programming. The channel oper ...

in Australia,

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

in Canada, and

in the United States.

Format

Bookaboo, the renowned drum-playing rock puppy, expresses his need for a daily story, or he refuses to perform. The other band members, Growler on bass guitar and paws on keyboards, discover Bookaboo on the Bookabus, where he evades stage calls through comedic sketches and songs. Despite their efforts, the band fails to convince Bookaboo to return to the stage. Fortunately, a famous fan arrives with a "Bookabag" filled with a picture book and sits down to share it with him. Bookaboo becomes captivated and enchanted by the story, seemingly resolving his issue. As the book concludes, Bookaboo regains his rhythm, which he refers to as his "Bojo". With the celebrity fan supporting him from the sidelines, Bookaboo thrills the audience with a drum solo. As the episode concludes, an illuminated stage sign informs the adult viewers that "1000 books per episode are donated to children who need them most".

Featured Books

The show carefully chooses books from a pool of around 500 submissions per series, which come from various publishers across the UK. The selection process is based on straightforward criteria: the books must be genuinely enjoyable to be read aloud and shared by both children and adults.

Celebrities

A diverse range of celebrities are invited to participate in the show, with the aim of encouraging individuals from various backgrounds to share books with children. The show has featured celebrities from different fields, including pop stars such as

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B / UK Garage group Mis-Teeq, who had seven UK top 10 hits, ...

, and

Lethal Bizzle Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" c ...

. Sports personalities, including former England goalkeeper

David Seaman David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country ...

, boxer Ricky Hatton, and wrestler Adam Copeland, have also supported Bookaboo's mission. Actors and actresses like

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...

Emilia Fox Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox (born 31 July 1974) is an English actress and presenter whose career is primarily in British television. Her feature film debut was in Roman Polanski's film ''The Pianist (2002 film), The Pianist'' (2002). Her other m ...

, and Stana Katic, presenters such as

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English media personality, actress and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent competition show '' Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the national ''H ...

, and

Lorraine Kelly Lorraine Kelly (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV and STV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), ''GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003–2005, ...

, as well as comedians like

Johnny Vegas Michael Joseph Pennington (born 5 September 1970), better known as Johnny Vegas, is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He is known for his thick Lancashire accent, husky voice, angry comedic rants, and use of surreal humour. Ve ...

and

Al Murray Alastair James Hay Murray (born 10 May 1968) is an English comedian. After graduating from the University of Oxford, Murray's comedy career began by working with Harry Hill for BBC Radio 4. He regularly performed at the Edinburgh Festival Frin ...

, have all shared a book with Bookaboo. The celebrities who participate in the show, regardless of their age, become Storytime Ambassadors for Bookaboo's "Share A Book Today" campaign, driven by their desire to promote book sharing among children and adults.

Bookaboo Share A Book Today Campaign

By 2011, a total of 26,000 books had been donated to disadvantaged children throughout the United Kingdom through the collaborative efforts of ''Bookaboo'', participating publishers, and celebrities. In 2009, Bookaboo formed partnerships with Booktrust and

The Book People The Book People Ltd was a UK online bookseller founded in 1988. It went into administration in 2019 and was formally dissolved in 2022. History The Book People started business in 1988, initially in the Guildford, Surrey area. It expanded rap ...

, resulting in the distribution of 13,000 books to children under six years old in

care Care may refer to: Organizations and projects * CARE (New Zealand), Citizens Association for Racial Equality, a former New Zealand organisation * CARE (England) West Midlands, Central Accident Resuscitation Emergency team, a team of doctors & ...

. In 2011, the

Pre-school Learning Alliance The Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA) is an early-years educational Charitable organization, registered charity and a voluntary sector provider of childcare for young children in England. Introduction The Pre-school Learning Alliance (the Alli ...

joined forces with Bookaboo, facilitating the distribution of an additional 13,000 books to nurseries in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the UK. In 2013, Bookaboo entered a partnership with First Book Canada when the show transitioned into a UK/Canadian co-production. Similarly, in 2016, when the show premiered as an Amazon Original in the US, First Book US became the designated charity partner.

Characters

The Story behind the band

All current members of Bookaboo's band were brought together at a dog

rescue center Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, removal from danger, liberation from restraint, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an incident. It may be facilitated by a range of tools and equipment nece ...

when they were orphaned puppies. Recognizing their musical abilities, the center owner discovered their talent and subsequently entered them into the canine talent contest called 'Pup Idol', which they won. With their newfound success, the puppy band embarked on a global tour, travelling in their converted library truck known as the Bookabus and performing to sold-out stadiums worldwide.

Bookaboo

Bookaboo is a Jack Russell Terrier, renowned canine drummer and rock dog known worldwide. However, Bookaboo faces a unique challenge where he loses his rhythm, referred to as his 'bojo', and is unable to play unless he shares a book with someone. This is famously expressed through his line, "A story a day, or I just can't play". The puppeteer responsible for bringing Bookaboo to life is

Marcus Clarke Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel ''For the Term of His Natural Life'', about the con ...

. The design of the Bookaboo puppet was created by Paul Andrejco and constructed by

Puppet Heap Puppet Heap, LLC is a puppet design, fabrication and production company based in Hoboken, New Jersey. The company was founded by artist and designer Paul Andrejco, who previously worked for The Jim Henson Company from 1992 to 2001 and designed ...

Hoboken, NJ Hoboken ( ; ) is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's popula ...

Growler

Growler is an American

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

known for his exceptional skills as a bass guitarist. He possesses a distinctively deep voice and a unique howl and growl. Additional information regarding the origins of his name will be unveiled in an upcoming backstory. Growler made his debut in Series 2 of the ''United Kingdom'' version of the show. The puppet for Growler was designed and constructed by

, and he is brought to life by puppeteer Paul Andrejco.

Paws

Paws is a skilled and highly agile

Dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: 'badger dog'), also known as the wiener dog or sausage dog, badger dog, doxen and doxie, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, with varie ...

known for his expertise as a keyboard player. Paws has demonstrated proficiency in playing both keyboards and keytar instruments. The puppet for Paws was created and constructed by Puppet Heap. In the United Kingdom version of the show, Paws is brought to life by puppeteer

Brian Herring BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a droid character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He appeared in the three films of the sequel trilogy, '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skyw ...

Music

The music for the show, including the title music, songs, and most of the incidental music, is written, composed, and predominantly performed by Mark Dyson. The drum solo for Bookaboo is executed by Alex Toff, who also operates the puppet's arms during the drum solo. During the performance, Alex Toff wore a Lycra-chrome green body-fitting suit, and he described the experience as the most unconventional session he had ever been part of. Some of the songs featured on the show include: * "Bookaboo's Book Blues": Bookaboo sings a blues song. * "Sausages": Growler expresses his passion for sausages through rock music. * "Hey You Make Some Noise" is an anthem that includes the line "If you rock with the pups, then you're part of the band". * "Life on the Road" is a ballad reflecting on the experiences of being on tour.

Merchandising

A pop-up book titled 'Pup Idol', featuring a sound chip, is published by

Walker Books Walker Books is a British publisher of children's books, founded in 1978 by Sebastian Walker, Amelia Edwards, and Wendy Boase. In 1991, the success of Walker Books' ''Where's Wally?'' series enabled the company to expand into the American ma ...

in the United Kingdom and Australia. Additionally,

publishes two stories about their touring experiences, "Puppies in the Pound" and "Dogs in Disguise," along with two activity books in the United Kingdom and Australia. DVDs of the show can be obtained in the United Kingdom through Abbey Media and in Australia through Fremantle.

Background

In November 2008, ITV announced the commissioning of a series that combines live action and animation to promote literacy among children and adults in the United Kingdom, in support of the ''National Year of Reading 2008''. The series, titled ''Bookaboo'', was commissioned by Emma Tennant, Controller of CITV and ITV3. It is created and produced by Lucy Goodman and directed by Lucy Goodman and Ian Emes from Happy Films. Tennant also serves as the executive producer for ITV. The thirteen-part series premiered on 2 March 2009, on the

CITV CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...

channel. Initially, it was broadcast three times a day, every weekday at 12:15, 15:20, and 17:45. In January 2009, ITV announced additional elements to accompany the series, including the Bookaboo Book Club online, live events, and in-store promotions. The show received the Preschool Live Action BAFTA at the 2009 ''British Academy Children's Awards''. A second series, which introduces Bookaboo's bandmates, Growler and Paws, began airing on 1 November 2010, on both the CITV digital channel and ITV.

Awards and nominations

The first series of Bookaboo received the Children's BAFTA Award for 'Best Pre-School Live Action' programme in 2009. The second series also won the same award in 2011. In 2009, Lucy Goodman and Ian Emes were nominated for an RTS award. Bookaboo went on to win the 2010 Broadcast Award for ''Best Children's Programme'' and the 2010 ''International Prix Jeunesse Award'' in Munich. In 2012, Bookaboo was honored with a ''British Animation Award'' in the mixed media category and was a finalist in the Children's Choice category. In 2017, Bookaboo was nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards and received the Parent's Choice Silver Honour Award.

References

External links

Happy Films Website

Canadian episodes
*{{IMDb title, id=1371652 2009 British television series debuts 2010 British television series endings 2013 Canadian television series debuts 2013 Canadian television series endings 2000s British children's television series 2010s British children's television series 2010s Canadian children's television series 2000s preschool education television series 2010s preschool education television series British preschool education television series British television series with live action and animation British television shows featuring puppetry Canadian preschool education television series Canadian television series with live action and animation Canadian television shows featuring puppetry CBC Kids original programming ITV children's television shows Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows about dogs