Tots much-loved classic lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo coming live to the stage
Rod Campbell's classic storybook Dear Zoo has been a firm favourite of children and their parents for more than 40 years and Dear Zoo live on stage! is a wonderful adventure based on the popular well-loved lift-the-flap book.
Due to overwhelming demand, Dear Zoo live on stage!, brought to life in 2018 as a brilliant new stage production, returns to UK theatres and it’s coming to Basingstoke this half term.
As a book Dear Zoo has delighted generations of young readers since it was first published in 1982, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide and is available in 31 languages.
Rod says: “I can hardly believe that Dear Zoo has celebrated its 42nd anniversary and I really am enormously touched and delighted that successive generations of young children continue to love Dear Zoo - their obvious pleasure when interacting with it is so gratifying to see, and for me is the very greatest of compliments!”
Rod Campbell’s much-loved story about a child who writes to the zoo asking them to send a pet, continues to delight new generations of children and parents as they lift the flaps in search of the perfect animal.
A colourful animal cast, interactive storytelling and the emotional sentiment that lies behind welcoming a perfect new addition to the family, has made Dear Zoo a popular choice for parents to share with babies and very young children.
A fierce lion, a naughty monkey, a big elephant, a grumpy camel, a tall giraffe, a scary snake, a jumpy frog and a perfect puppy are the precious cargo introduced in the book.
Drawing on themes of shared experiences, belonging together, welcoming a new arrival, and finding the perfect family fit, the Dear Zoo® brand celebrates the powerful bond between parent and child – and continues to find its own home as a family favourite year after year.
Dear Zoo live on stage! is suitable for children aged 1+.
Brought to life through child-engaging puppets, original music and lots of audience interaction and participation, the show immediately appeals to families and children who already love the book and will serve as a wonderful introduction to those coming to the story for the first time.
Rod Campbell is the master of interactive storytelling and an expert in early learning for pre-schoolers. As a trusted household name, his books have stood the test of time and continue to be a staple addition to the family bookshelf and a popular choice for early years’ teachers.
The creator of more than 200 books for children, Rod Campbell’s unique ability to be both fun and reassuring encourages children to discover and delight in the world around them.
“The transition to stage has been made smoothly and beautifully, with every great element of the book translated into a superb theatrical production” ***** www.entertainmentviews.co.uk
Dear Zoo live on stage! tours to The Haymarket, Basingstoke on October 28 and 29.
Rod Campbell tells us more
Tell us a bit more about your work
I make books for the under 5s, writing and illustrating the content. They have an early learning bias with a simple and often repetitive text, and perhaps a simple novelty element (if it seems appropriate), to draw the child in.
What's your top tip for sharing Dear Zoo with little ones?
Make it a fun experience! Let them open the flaps, say the animal's name and make its noise.
Which books did you love as a child?
I was brought up on Enid Blyton’s books and loved her various series!
How do you keep going when you get stuck with a piece of work?
I am fortunate never to have suffered from it – I go through all the books and material I have accumulated over the years and there is usually something that will spark an idea.
Were you a keen bookworm when you were young?
I loved reading as a child even though I came from a home without books.
I was introduced to books at school, experiencing first of all the great pleasure of being read to, and then later being able to read on my own. It really is essential that children have the chance early on to enter into a story with their imaginations and have a chance to live all kinds of different experiences through the written word.
What inspired you to create books for very young children?
Well, they are the only books I feel I can create. I am able to see the world in a simple child's-view way and know instinctively what is important to them and how they would view and react to certain things. It was pure chance that children's books found me (thank heavens!) and I slowly came to realise that I had a talent for communicating with the very young. I wanted to create books that enticed babies and toddlers into books, and gave them a good fun experience. Also, I wanted to help them in that magical mysterious process of learning to read. I'm fortunate to have been able to make books that seem to strike a chord with them and may have helped in those aims. Perhaps too, I have subconsciously been living my own early years through the books I never had!
Where did you get the idea for Dear Zoo?
Dear Zoo evolved from encountering a flap book in a bookshop (very rare in the early 80s) and realising how useful the judicious use of flaps in a book could be in involving the child.
Animals seemed good subject matter as children are endlessly fascinated by them, and that thought presented the problem of how to use the flaps so they made sense. Suddenly the thought of explorers sending animals to zoos years ago in crates came to mind and the structure of the book started to form.
Choice of animals with different characteristics was important (also size, going from big to small), also a text with repeating elements, but of course the ending was the most important element of all and that fell into place quite naturally.
The book quite honestly almost formed itself and I simply gave it life!
What do you think is the secret behind Dear Zoo's enduring popularity?
In Dear Zoo children are introduced to a quite simple story that makes perfect sense to them and where their physical involvement with the flaps moves it along at their own pace. There is the delight of discovery of the animals with their differences, the repetition of the text which is soon known off by heart (by both readers and pre-readers) giving a real sense of participation in the story, and finally there's an ending which is logical and satisfying to the child. Perhaps the marriage of idea, text and pictures with flaps simply works!
Have you got any tips to help parents who would like to read to their young baby but don't know which books to choose?
It's important to choose a book that is right for the child and not to choose something the adult likes for themselves! Books about the child's world (with children or animals) and their daily routine are always of interest as the child can relate what they hear and see to their own experiences. This is vital in the pre-reading phase.
Clear unambiguous pictures are really important, as well as a simple text, preferably with some rhyming element. Babies soon pick up on the rhythms of speech and try to imitate them.
And be prepared to go through the book as many times as the child wants. You may find all this boring but your infant won't! And don't forget to have lots of conversation and questions while sharing the book even if they are not at the talking stage..
Books with textured elements on the pages are ideal for sharing with the very young as they enjoy the physical participation. Nursery rhymes are important and are sometimes overlooked as they may seem old-fashioned, but I think they are important for babies for the illustrations and speech rhythms when read aloud.
