Seasonal Saturday Storytime - Mr Bear's Christmas with author, Lorna Gibson

A Special Seasonal Storytime with Lorna Gibson. One ticket includes a book and entry (one toddler plus adult) Author and illustrator, Lorna Gibson's stop-motion animated short film, Mr Bear's Christmas, narrated by Stephen Fry and streamed on BBC iPlayer, has now been adapted as a children's picture book, and Lorna is going to be here on Saturday 21st November to read her story to us! Set in a cozy, glowing house in the corner of a forest, the tale follows the kind-hearted Mr Bear and his best friend, Mouse, as they plan a Christmas party for their forest friends. When Mouse goes missing while gathering winter berries, Mr Bear and the local wildlife must band together to find him. This heartwarming tale is the perfect start to the Christmas season.

All tickets include a hardback copy of Mr Bear's Christmas and a draw along activity with Lorna. The Story Behind the Animation Lorna is a self-taught animator from Tarporley who originally wrote and illustrated the story in 2019. During lockdown, she decided to bring it to life using stop-motion animation, teaching herself needle-felting to craft the physical puppet characters. She filmed the entire 11-minute project on a makeshift set in her parents' house using an iPhone and a stop-motion app. The Stephen Fry Connection: After dreaming that the legendary actor signed a contract written on the back of an envelope to narrate her film, she took a chance and reached out to his voiceover agent. Fry loved the project, recorded the narration from his home, and emailed the audio file back to her.