Julia Donaldson: Heroes and Villains

Watch former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson enthrall and entertain during this event by performing dramatic versions of three best-loved picture books The Singing Mermaid, The Highway Rat and What the Ladybird Heard - with the help of an ensemble of entertaining characters!

Please note: there were technical issues during this live broadcast. The recording restarts at 2 minutes 40 seconds, please just be patient as the event loads. 

This session was recorded live in partnership with BBC Scotland Digital Learning at the Edinburgh Festival 2013.

Check out our Julia Donaldson learning resources(this will open in a new window) for lots of activities that you can do before or after watching this broadcast.

If you only do one thing

We know time is tight, so here is just one activity you could complete with your class before or after watching the event.

News reader EXA 0-12a, EXA 1-14a

Work with the pupils to write a news report of the events in the story, then film the child reading it behind a mock news desk. You could interview the farmer and the cops, perhaps event Hugh and Len from behind bars. You could even interview the animals, and decide whether they can talk or not, perhaps explore using gestures to convey what happened. Try creating a Crimewatch-style clip, warning local farmers that cow thieves have been at large in the area. You could:

• Include a description of the criminals
• Details of what they are looking for
• Ideas to make sure they keep their animals secure

A full transcript of this event is available to download.