Subtitles
Associated Teachers TV programme
Reading Aloud with Michael Rosen: Christmas Special
0001 10:00:13:13 10:00:17:12
Hello, and welcome to a very
festive edition of "Reading Aloud".
0002 10:00:17:12 10:00:20:14
There'll be heroes,
villains, and lots of fun
0003 10:00:20:14 10:00:25:02
as we explore the enduring appeal
of the pantomime story.
0004 10:00:25:02 10:00:29:15
And, as with all good pantos,
there'll be a few surprises...
0005 10:00:29:15 10:00:33:02
Rats! Rats! That's all anyone
ever talks about these days!
0006 10:00:34:04 10:00:38:17
..as we unwrap this giant Christmas
present of reading delights
0007 10:00:38:17 10:00:41:06
for you and those you teach.
0008 10:00:42:06 10:00:44:06
Coming up, we'll be ripping open
0009 10:00:44:06 10:00:47:16
and revealing
the very best books for Christmas,
0010 10:00:47:16 10:00:50:05
meeting Raymond Briggs,
creator of "The Snowman"
0011 10:00:50:05 10:00:53:00
and that very grumpy
Father Christmas...
0012 10:00:53:00 10:00:55:06
"Happy blooming Christmas
to you, too."
0013 10:00:56:06 10:01:00:02
..finding fun in poetry with
these six- and seven-year-olds...
0014 10:01:00:02 10:01:03:04
Halfway down, he ripped his pants.
0015 10:01:03:04 10:01:04:23
(all laugh)
0016 10:01:04:23 10:01:06:24
..discovering the special signature
0017 10:01:06:24 10:01:11:01
on this first edition
of "A Christmas Carol",
0018 10:01:11:19 10:01:15:05
and hearing a teenager's take
on the Queen's speech...
0019 10:01:15:05 10:01:17:19
"She is waiting for me
to do sexy time..."
0020 10:01:17:19 10:01:19:19
..Borat style!
0021 10:01:28:16 10:01:31:03
Yes, it's panto time.
0022 10:01:31:03 10:01:34:16
- (all) Oh, no, it isn't!
- (Michael) Oh, yes, it is.
0023 10:01:34:16 10:01:38:07
Here in Nuneaton there's excitement,
as the audience arrive
0024 10:01:38:07 10:01:42:00
for tonight's performance
of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin".
0025 10:01:42:00 10:01:44:05
Backstage, it's bedlam
0026 10:01:44:05 10:01:49:07
as the cast and crew get ready to
stage this very traditional panto.
0027 10:01:49:07 10:01:51:09
It's taken a year to prepare,
0028 10:01:51:09 10:01:55:10
but in less time you could create
something really special.
0029 10:01:56:08 10:01:58:19
Why not put on a panto
at your school?
0030 10:01:58:19 10:02:03:22
They're fun and they bring together
the school, parents, and community.
0031 10:02:04:18 10:02:06:21
It uses all the elements
of literacy -
0032 10:02:06:21 10:02:10:16
reading and writing, speaking
and listening, and a lot more.
0033 10:02:10:16 10:02:12:20
Music, dance, design.
0034 10:02:13:21 10:02:18:06
Pick a well-known story, invent a
few modern and local bits to put in,
0035 10:02:18:06 10:02:21:23
and try a few traditional comic
techniques like, "He's behind you!"
0036 10:02:21:23 10:02:25:06
"Oh, yes, he is."
"Oh, no, he isn't."
0037 10:02:26:00 10:02:28:09
You could write some of it
in rhyming couplets.
0038 10:02:28:09 10:02:31:13
Try writing some songs
or adapting old ones.
0039 10:02:33:00 10:02:35:09
Put all that together...
0040 10:02:35:09 10:02:38:21
and you've got yourself a show.
0041 10:02:40:08 10:02:41:17
(knock on door)
0042 10:02:41:17 10:02:44:23
- Five minutes, gents.
- (all) All right.
0043 10:02:44:23 10:02:49:14
(Michael) We'll be seeing a lot more
of the Pied Piper panto later.
0044 10:02:56:03 10:03:00:09
We couldn't make a special
Christmas edition of "Reading Aloud"
0045 10:03:00:09 10:03:01:15
without spending time
0046 10:03:01:15 10:03:04:11
with my favourite writer
of Christmas stories,
0047 10:03:04:11 10:03:05:22
Charles Dickens.
0048 10:03:05:22 10:03:10:13
Do you know, when he died,
a market girl here in London said:
0049 10:03:10:13 10:03:14:23
"Dickens? Dead? Then will
Father Christmas die, too?"
0050 10:03:14:23 10:03:19:07
So where better to find out more
about the great man's festive legacy
0051 10:03:19:07 10:03:23:05
than here at
48 Doughty Street in Bloomsbury
0052 10:03:23:05 10:03:25:17
where Charles Dickens once lived?
0053 10:03:28:12 10:03:30:21
It was 1837.
0054 10:03:30:21 10:03:36:03
Charles Dickens was 25 when he moved
in here with his wife and baby son,
0055 10:03:36:03 10:03:42:02
a rising literary star in
a newly built house, now a museum.
0056 10:03:43:12 10:03:47:11
He wasn't here long before fame,
fortune and a growing family
0057 10:03:47:11 10:03:50:01
led him to a bigger home.
0058 10:03:54:21 10:03:57:20
Of course, he would've spent
several Christmases here,
0059 10:03:57:20 10:04:02:20
sitting in this very chair,
surrounded by friends and family
0060 10:04:02:20 10:04:06:04
in this typical
Victorian drawing room.
0061 10:04:09:09 10:04:12:12
It could've been a washroom
like this that might've inspired
0062 10:04:12:12 10:04:16:22
the story about Mrs Cratchit
using a boiler, or a copper,
0063 10:04:16:22 10:04:19:06
to cook her Christmas pudding.
0064 10:04:19:06 10:04:24:12
"Like a speckled cannonball,
ignited with blazing brandy."
0065 10:04:26:18 10:04:30:21
And there'd be plenty of Christmas
spirit of the alcoholic kind
0066 10:04:30:21 10:04:34:02
flowing from the wine cellar
here in Doughty Street,
0067 10:04:34:02 10:04:36:21
just as there is
in "A Christmas Carol".
0068 10:04:36:21 10:04:41:05
Large bowls of punch
and Bob Cratchit's special cocktail
0069 10:04:41:05 10:04:44:17
of warm gin and herbs.
0070 10:04:51:24 10:04:56:17
Well, Dickens was certainly prolific
while he lived here.
0071 10:04:56:17 10:04:59:05
He completed "Oliver Twist",
0072 10:04:59:05 10:05:02:12
he wrote "Nicholas Nickleby"
and part of "Pickwick Papers".
0073 10:05:02:12 10:05:04:12
"A Christmas Carol"
would come later,
0074 10:05:04:12 10:05:07:08
but this museum
holds many fascinating items
0075 10:05:07:08 10:05:10:00
related to this magical story.
0076 10:05:13:07 10:05:15:20
I picked a few little treasures
we've got today.
0077 10:05:15:20 10:05:19:18
Here is a copy of "Christmas Carol"
that belonged to Dickens' father.
0078 10:05:19:18 10:05:23:16
You can see Dickens' father's
signature, John Dickens, at the top.
0079 10:05:23:16 10:05:27:06
Quite a nice little item because, as
you can see, it's all blue and red.
0080 10:05:27:06 10:05:30:03
When Dickens originally
was given this copy,
0081 10:05:30:03 10:05:34:01
he was given it with green and red
titles we associate with Christmas.
0082 10:05:34:01 10:05:36:02
He rejected it
and went for blue and red.
0083 10:05:36:02 10:05:38:16
(Michael) Tell me about the picture.
Who did that?
0084 10:05:38:16 10:05:42:09
The illustrator was called John
Leech. He was a friend of Dickens'.
0085 10:05:42:09 10:05:46:14
You can see the lovely hand-coloured
paintings throughout the book.
0086 10:05:46:14 10:05:50:12
It cost a lot of money. Dickens
didn't make much through these.
0087 10:05:50:12 10:05:52:15
What else have you got?
0088 10:05:52:15 10:05:56:16
Well, also another scene on this fan
of Fezziwig and his wife dancing.
0089 10:05:56:16 10:05:59:24
This was painted by Dickens'
daughter who was born here.
0090 10:05:59:24 10:06:01:17
Again, a nice Christmas item.
0091 10:06:01:17 10:06:04:19
There's the mistletoe
over Fezziwig and his wife.
0092 10:06:04:19 10:06:06:22
So she's copied
this illustration, yes?
0093 10:06:06:22 10:06:09:17
That's right.
She was an artist in her own right.
0094 10:06:09:17 10:06:12:15
In fact,
she opened the museum in 1925.
0095 10:06:12:15 10:06:14:15
(# "Silent Night")
0096 10:06:21:16 10:06:24:01
(Andrew) I think
the "Christmas Carol" story
0097 10:06:24:01 10:06:27:07
has a lot of elements
we associate now with Christmas
0098 10:06:27:07 10:06:31:21
and Dickens sort of reinvented
the feeling of Christmas.
0099 10:06:31:21 10:06:36:01
During the period, the first
Christmas card was sent, as well.
0100 10:06:36:01 10:06:40:16
So a lot of customs that we have now
starting with this little tale.
0101 10:06:40:16 10:06:42:16
And you've brought
another book along?
0102 10:06:42:16 10:06:46:06
As well as "Christmas Carol",
he wrote other Christmas books.
0103 10:06:46:06 10:06:49:08
This is "The Chimes",
and I particularly like this one
0104 10:06:49:08 10:06:52:08
as Dickens has inscribed it
to that other great writer,
0105 10:06:52:08 10:06:56:01
Hans Christian Andersen,
who was a friend of his.
0106 10:07:01:23 10:07:04:12
Christmas is always a good time
for selling books
0107 10:07:04:12 10:07:07:06
and Charles Dickens
certainly knew about that.
0108 10:07:07:06 10:07:09:13
Back in November 1843,
0109 10:07:09:13 10:07:13:24
he rushed to publish "A Christmas
Carol" to reach the festive market.
0110 10:07:13:24 10:07:16:14
But he made a loss
on the first print run
0111 10:07:16:14 10:07:19:20
in his effort to make it
affordable for the working classes.
0112 10:07:19:20 10:07:22:06
- (doorbell)
- Hang on, I'd better get that.
0113 10:07:23:19 10:07:25:06
How exciting.
0114 10:07:25:06 10:07:29:22
The lady bearing gifts is Julia
Eccleshare, children's book critic.
0115 10:07:29:22 10:07:32:11
She's been busy reading
the latest releases
0116 10:07:32:11 10:07:38:03
to pick the books she'd most like to
see under the tree this Christmas.
0117 10:07:38:03 10:07:40:06
I've brought something for all ages.
0118 10:07:40:06 10:07:43:05
I started with the very youngest
with a new book
0119 10:07:43:05 10:07:46:07
by Julia Donaldson and Axel
Scheffler who did "The Gruffalo".
0120 10:07:46:07 10:07:49:19
Tiddler is late for school
and there's a story as to why.
0121 10:07:49:19 10:07:53:19
It's all the things that happen
to him as to why he's late.
0122 10:07:56:21 10:08:01:11
"Once, there was a fish
and his name was Tiddler."
0123 10:08:01:11 10:08:06:01
"He wasn't much to look at
with his plain grey scales,
0124 10:08:06:01 10:08:10:16
but Tiddler was a fish
with a big imagination."
0125 10:08:10:16 10:08:16:05
"He blew small bubbles,
but he told tall tales."
0126 10:08:17:14 10:08:20:19
It's a great book about writing,
as well as a great story to read.
0127 10:08:20:19 10:08:22:19
It's great to share
with a young child,
0128 10:08:22:19 10:08:26:04
but it's a great classroom book,
as well, cos it's a spur to writing.
0129 10:08:26:04 10:08:27:15
(Michael) And the next one?
0130 10:08:27:15 10:08:32:13
It's "The Adventures of the Dish and
the Spoon", a wonderful love affair.
0131 10:08:32:13 10:08:37:11
The Dish and the Spoon run away
and they float off to America.
0132 10:08:37:11 10:08:40:01
Then, of course,
the dream turns terrible.
0133 10:08:40:01 10:08:42:12
It all goes wrong
and they're living in poverty.
0134 10:08:42:12 10:08:46:09
First, they have the riches. It's
the riches and then to the rags.
0135 10:08:46:09 10:08:49:23
This wonderful picture of
the savage cutlery out to get them.
0136 10:08:49:23 10:08:51:11
Terrifying stuff.
0137 10:08:51:11 10:08:56:02
It's about adversity, but it's also
about how love sees you through.
0138 10:08:56:02 10:09:01:00
It's just a wonderful take on
an old story, giving it a new twist.
0139 10:09:01:00 10:09:03:11
I think Mini Grey
is a fantastic illustrator.
0140 10:09:03:11 10:09:05:13
All her books have been wonderful.
0141 10:09:05:13 10:09:08:02
I know this is a very old favourite,
0142 10:09:08:02 10:09:10:22
Catherine Storr's
"Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf",
0143 10:09:10:22 10:09:13:02
but I was brought up on this.
0144 10:09:13:02 10:09:16:06
We don't have enough short stories
that are quick
0145 10:09:16:06 10:09:19:03
to get the whole of an episode...
0146 10:09:19:03 10:09:22:10
(Michael) Very good for six-
and seven-year-olds, in particular.
0147 10:09:22:10 10:09:24:06
Very good for reading aloud.
0148 10:09:24:06 10:09:28:11
"You Can Save the Planet - A Day in
the Life of Your Carbon Footprint",
0149 10:09:28:11 10:09:31:01
it just does make you think
about what you're doing.
0150 10:09:31:01 10:09:34:15
If children don't start
thinking about it very young,
0151 10:09:34:15 10:09:36:15
we're never gonna make any changes.
0152 10:09:36:15 10:09:40:13
Also useful for adults who don't
know what a carbon footprint is.
0153 10:09:40:13 10:09:42:09
- Are you talking of yourself?
- Yes.
0154 10:09:42:09 10:09:44:09
Yeah, it would tell you about it.
0155 10:09:44:09 10:09:47:02
It makes you think
what you're doing during the day.
0156 10:09:47:02 10:09:49:08
Very interesting, given how much
0157 10:09:49:08 10:09:51:19
the adult world
has taken on climate change,
0158 10:09:51:19 10:09:55:21
how little children's book writers
have tackled the issue.
0159 10:09:55:21 10:09:59:00
There's very little fiction
and this was a really good book.
0160 10:09:59:00 10:10:01:24
Meg Rosoff's "What I Was" -
0161 10:10:01:24 10:10:06:21
it's a very powerful, strange story
about a boy at boarding school.
0162 10:10:06:21 10:10:09:20
It's about trying to find freedom
and space,
0163 10:10:09:20 10:10:11:11
and finding yourself.
0164 10:10:11:11 10:10:14:22
Anybody who has experienced
wanting to get out of a group
0165 10:10:14:22 10:10:19:17
and finding something on their own
will just love this.
0166 10:10:19:17 10:10:23:00
Jenny Downham's "Before I Die"
should be really depressing.
0167 10:10:23:00 10:10:25:19
If I tell you it's about
a 17-year-old dying of cancer,
0168 10:10:25:19 10:10:27:14
you would think it was awful.
0169 10:10:27:14 10:10:31:13
Everyone I know has cried - even
me, and I'm quite hard-hearted.
0170 10:10:33:06 10:10:36:06
"Death straps me
to the hospital bed,
0171 10:10:36:06 10:10:40:17
claws its way onto my chest
and sits there."
0172 10:10:40:17 10:10:43:08
"I didn't know
it would hurt this much."
0173 10:10:43:08 10:10:46:20
"I didn't know that everything good
that's ever happened in my life
0174 10:10:46:20 10:10:48:23
would be emptied out by it."
0175 10:10:48:23 10:10:54:00
"I catch the weight of glances.
Nurse to doctor, doctor to Dad."
0176 10:10:54:00 10:10:58:09
"Their hushed voices.
Panic spills from Dad's throat."
0177 10:10:58:09 10:11:01:07
"Not yet. Not yet."
0178 10:11:04:05 10:11:08:11
It is incredibly moving and she
decides she must do various things -
0179 10:11:08:11 10:11:10:17
she has to try sex,
she has to try drugs.
0180 10:11:10:17 10:11:13:05
She drives.
She's never taken her driving test.
0181 10:11:13:05 10:11:15:01
That's a terrifying moment.
0182 10:11:15:01 10:11:19:01
As an adult, you sort of think,
"I'm not sure I like this."
0183 10:11:19:01 10:11:22:14
It also explores what her younger
brother and her father are feeling.
0184 10:11:22:14 10:11:26:09
And it's just
an incredibly sensitive novel.
0185 10:11:26:09 10:11:29:00
The thing about these,
when people get given a book,
0186 10:11:29:00 10:11:32:24
they always think, "Oh, a book," and
it's not the most exciting present.
0187 10:11:32:24 10:11:36:24
With all of these, they're the thing