Cotswolds Radio Gathers Henry Fans from Around the World

Greetings Henry fans - it's been a busy spring!

Just as Henry and his pals are emerging from their cosy winter nests to smell the daffodils, Mum and I have been enjoying some fabulous spring adventures of our own.

Back in November, when we were closing in on the publication date of Henry’s Activity Book, I reached out to Cotswolds Radio, hoping for a mention on their book show, Culture Club.

Unfortunately, they were all booked up, but promised to be back in touch in the New Year. When January rolled around, one of their lovely hosts, Kathy Ellison reached out with an ambitious plan.

“How about we do a live show with Jo, Sue, and the illustrator? Maybe I could get some school children involved as well.”

Me joining the show live at 2 am, US time did not seem very practical. I love you Mum, but I didn’t fancy my chances of sounding coherent in the middle of the night. Luckily, show host Kathy had a solution and recorded interviews with me and Sarah Fountain, our lovely Activity book illustrator at more convenient times.

And to add to the international flavour of the show, Kathy prerecorded a delightful interview with her nieces in Australia. Long-distance Henry fans! 

Mum with presenter Kathy Ellison at the Cotswolds Radio HQ housed in the
historic Old Prison, Northleach.

On the day of the live show, presenter Kathy worked her magic and skillfully stitched together all the prerecorded bits from across the globe, with the live action in the studio. And yes, it was action-packed!

There was Mum answering questions from Kathy, a handful of local school children reading favorite passages from Henry's Adventures, then Kathy asking the kiddos to share their opinions about the stories, and then the children asking Mum questions! Brilliant!

The Culture Club Show gave us a lovely way to share Mum’s stories far and wide, and also gave Mum the perfect opportunity to get on her soap box about a couple of things.

- the importance of taking time to read to your children. Reading to kids increases language comprehension, helps vocabulary development, and contributes to success in school.
- the value of books about the countryside. Children need to know wild animals exist if we want them to grow up protective of wildlife and countryside habitat. Henry's adventures are a fun way to introduce a few furry, prickly, and feathered friends to little ones. 
 

I'm sure you'd love to listen to Jo, Sue, Sarah, Northleach Primary children, and a couple of young Aussies sharing their views on The Adventures of Henry series! So grab a cup of tea, get comfy, and click on the image to connect to the Culture Club show broadcast on March 8th.  

We hope you enjoy the show and feel inspired to buy the entire Henry series for every five-year-old you know!

See below for a growing list of local booksellers or Click here to visit our bookshop.org page and select the bookshop you'd like to support.

We wish you a sunny springtime and hope the daffodils are blooming in your neck of the woods.