‘One winter’s night, a snowman comes to life and a magical adventure begins…’
Category Archives: Listen and Watch
Puffin Podcast episode 12: Adventures in Wonderland
Follow that white rabbit! To celebrate the 150th unbirthday of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, BAFTA winning actress Sheridan Smith exclusively shares how she came up with the voices for the new audiobook. What’s more, host Ally McCrae will be exploring modern-wonderlands inspired by Lewis Carrol’s classic, like Cathy Cassidy’s intriguing Looking Glass Girl read by Helen Baxendale and the soon-to-be Hollywood blockbuster The Fifth Wave.
For the especially curious amongst you, there’s a curious cast of characters:
ANSWERS TO CHARACTER QUIZ at the end of the episode… No cheating please!
Could you name all the curious characters at the end of the episode? Here are the answers . . .
- The Cheshire Cat
- Frog Footman
- The Duchess
- The Dormouse
- The Mad Hatter
- The March Hare
- The Caterpillar
- The Queen
So that just leaves one question, why is a raven like a writing desk?
Let us know you’re listening using the hashtag #ListenwithPuffin
Tweet @puffinbooks
Puffin Podcast Episode 10: Hop Outside
Kate McCafferty, the voice of Oona the Puffin, on Nick Junior’s Puffin Rock, guest presents a very special episode all about the great outdoors. Listen out for amazing extracts from The Secret Garden, Amy Wild, The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck ready by Ewan McGregor and the award-winning audiobook Stig of the Dump read by Tony Robinson
Let us know you’re listening with the hashtag #ListenWithPuffin and watch regular host Ally McCrae interview Kate!
The Secret Garden
Stig of the Dump
Amy Wild Amazon Summer
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Puffin Rock
Puffin Podcast Episode 9: Jokesters & Pranksters!
Get ready to giggle! This hilarious episode of the Webby nominated Puffin Podcast is full of the best jokesters and pranksters in kids’ books. From wormy spaghetti (Roald Dahl’s The Twits) to incidents with the pet goldfish (Kes Gray’s Daisy) and an appearance from Beanotown’s original prankster, the gnash-bang-wolloping Dennis the Menace. Plus, presenter Ally McCrae orders a pizza bigger than a swimming pool, and laugh-out-loud-funny author Steven Butler prank-calls his old headmaster… none other than the King of Comedy himself, Jeremy Strong! WARNING: This programme might make your cheeks hurt from grinning so much!
Penguin Schools’ Puffin Virtually Live Hot List
We have some truly amazing Puffin Virtually Live events coming up in 2015. Featuring some of the world’s biggest authors and stories, the shows will entertain and engage thousands of school pupils from across the globe. Over at the Puffin Virtually Live website, there are a tons of On Demand videos available for you to share in your classroom. Click below to view our picks of some of the best…
Puffin Virtually Live presents Danger is Everywhere. November 2014. Top comedian David O’Doherty & illustrator Chris Judge introduced Danger is Everywhere in this side-splitting event. Ideal for reluctant readers & budding young illustrators. Watch at http://bit.ly/1E5Esa0
Puffin Virtually Live: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2014. April 2014. Jeff Kinney shared his ninth Wimpy Kid story in last year’s show. Give your class a taste of what to expect next Monday with last year’s biggest Wimpy Kid event. Watch it at http://bit.ly/1aND8wU
Puffin Virtually Live: Roald Dahl Day 2014. September 2014. This whipple-scrumptious event celebrated 50 years of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. The event was beamed live from The Theatre Royal Drury Lane and showed why Roald Dahl is still so special today. Watch at http://bit.ly/1xvbmjf
Puffin Virtually Live: The Diary of Dennis the Menace. February 2015. This special menacing event starred not one but two hilarious authors in the form of Steven Butler & Jeremy Strong. Share with pupils aged 6-11. Watch at http://bit.ly/1yQzbTe
Puffin Virtually Live presents Jacqueline Wilson. June 2014. Much loved children’s author Jacqueline Wilson shared her 100th book Opal Plumstead in this special event. Perfect for Jacqueline Wilson fans & will be a great introduction to the topic of the Suffragettes. Watch at http://bit.ly/PA5ikf
Find out more about Wimpy Kid Virtually Live 2015 and register for the event here. There’s a great activity pack you can download, including a special DIY cover design activity!
[polldaddy poll=8815012]Puffin Podcast nominated for a Webby!
Whoopee! The Puffin Podcast has been nominated for a Webby Award, that’s like the Oscars but for the internet. In fact one big wig at The New York Times called it ‘The Internet’s highest honour’. There are two categories, one chosen by some clever judges and another picked by the people. That means YOU!
How can you vote? Just go here and click on the Puffin Podcast. The whole thing will be over quicker than you can say fuzzy hatchling!
Not going to vote just because we tell you? Highly commendable free-thinking. So in light of this, here are 9 reasons why we think you should vote Puffin.
1. The Puffin Podcast is presented by Ally McCrae. You might be able to guess from his accent that he hails from the Highlands – but did you know he’s 6″4 and enjoys chomping crisps in the recording studio?
2. Our monthly quiz for Puffins Boffins (Poffins? Buffins?) is tenser than the knicker elastic in Dennis the Menace’s catapult. Sparks flew when Editor Ben and Marketeer Gemma battled it out in the Hocus-Pocus head-to-head. (Battle commences at 10 minutes and 21 seconds).
Trailer: Moomins on the Riviera!
IN CINEMAS MAY 22
Join the Moomins and friends as they leave Moominvalley behind and head south in Moomins On The Riviera, which opens in cinemas on 22 May.
In search of adventures, the Moomins, Snorkmaiden and Little My set sail for the French Riviera. After a perilous journey, they reach their dream destination where Snorkmaiden is dazzled by the attentions of a a new admirer, leaving Moomin consumed by jealousy. When Moominpappa befriends an aristocrat and adopts the name ‘de Moomin’, Moominmamma retreats to the calm of their trusty old boat to wait for her family to come to their senses and to remember their motto:
“Live in peace, plant potatoes and dream.”
It’s voting time! Red House Children’s Book Award!
The Bomber Dog has been shortlisted for the 2015 Red House Children’s Book Award! It’s the only national book award voted for entirely by children so only you can make this brave puppy’s story a winner!
Make sure you cast your vote on the Red House website before January 24th!
You can watch the film Megan made for the award below:
The Bomber Dog is a gripping story about a brave puppy who joins the paratroopers during the Second World War and becomes a heroic war dog.
- GREY is just a puppy when he arrives at the War Dog Training school.
- NATHAN, his trainer, is a brave young soldier.
- WOLF is a war dog who’s seen it all.
Grey and Nathan soon become inseparable. Until the day a parachute jump goes tragically wrong . . .
As the Second World War rages, Grey faces his most important mission yet: to find his best friend. With Wolf at his side, he must journey across France and behind enemy lines. His path is fraught with danger.
Can he reach Nathan before it’s too late?
Puffin Podcast Episode 8: Christmas!!!
Snuggle up in your new seasonal sweater and enjoy audiobook extracts from Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale (read by Emma Thompson), Richard Curtis’s The Empty Stocking (read by Dawn French) and The Snowman and the Snowdog (read by Benedict Cumberbatch). As well as all this, Pupil of Dangerology, David O’Doherty will be taking you through the 12 Dangers of Christmas and William the Turkey is giving us an exclusive interview. Not to mention the quiz and of course host Ally McCrae, who’ll be saying a final hello, goodbye and thanks for listening in 2014.
Secret Santa! #SeasonsReadings (The Outtakes!)
Just twenty three more sleeps until Christmas and Puffin is looking forward to mince pies, presents, shiny new books, (re-reading dusty old books) and even a couple of Brussels sprouts.
As the windows of advent calendars across the land burst open – some of the brightest and most brilliant authors have had a few early festive surprises. That’s right, the Penguin Office Christmas Secret Santa has begun and Puffin has got a rather excellent, totally exclusive, absolutely behind the scenes, sneaky-peeky video. It seems even grown-up authors get excited about a mysterious box in shiny paper – get ready for wrapping ripping and some absolute crackers.
Starring (in order of appearance):
Sophie Kinsella, Cathy Cassidy, Malorie Blackman, Caitlin Moran, Giovanna Fletcher, Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella), Colm Tóibín, Sebastian Faulks, Graeme Simsion, Simon Mayo, The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas and John Cleese.
Want to find out who gave what and to whom? Shimmy over to the Penguin YouTube channel to find out!
Warning: Contains dinosaur poop
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