Showing results by publisher "BBC Audio" in Literature & Fiction

A second wonderful collection of Just William stories, selected and read by Martin Jarvis. Richmal Crompton’s stories featuring irrepressible schoolboy William Brown have been firm favourites with both young and old for decades. Perpetually scruffy, mud-stained and mischievous, he is a lovable scamp whose pranks usually end in disaster - for his harassed elders at least. With friends Ginger, Douglas and Henry (the Outlaws) and the angelic thorn in his side, the lisping Violet Elizabeth Bott, William has rightly joined the literary and radio immortals.

C.S. Lewis’s acclaimed and universally loved novels spring to life in these spellbinding full-cast BBC dramatisations. Anyone who’s visited Narnia wants to go back again, and these radio dramas make for a hugely entertaining first-time or return journey, with a cast including Bernard Cribbins, Maurice Denham, Richard Griffiths, Martin Jarvis, Sylvester McCoy, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall.

The complete Mr Gum audio collection, read by the author and with music and sound effects. Shabba me whiskers! It’s a bumper box set of stories featuring that old rotter Mr Gum! And not just him - there’s also his trusty sidekick Billy William the Third, the little girl called Polly, the very wise man Friday O’Leary, the gingerbread man named Alan Taylor and the angry fairy who lives in Mr Gum’s bathtub. So step into the weird and wonderful world of Lamonic Bibber for some barking bonkers adventures! 

Alien pirates, and sea-faring friends abound in this incredible Treasure Island and Doctor Who crossover. 'Who was that?' asked Clara. 'And what are pieces of eight?' The Doctor smiled. 'Robert Louis Stevenson. I did tell you.' Summoned to 1700s Plymouth, the Doctor and Clara must investigate a mysterious thievery from the Crown of King George. Their travels take them to a remote island - but as the secrets of the theft are unearthed, the Doctor discovers something far more sinister. The spectre of a terrible intellect is afoot.

The Wind in the Willows is the classic story featuring Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad (of Toad Hall). In Alice in Wonderland, when Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole, she embarks on a series of adventures with some of the most weird and wonderful characters ever encountered. In Through the Looking Glass, Alice sees another world in the looking glass and wishes she could go there.

Martin Jarvis performs two full-length William stories, 'The Lost Tourist' and 'The Leopard Hunter', recorded live on stage at the Cheltenham Festival in 2003. Described by the Daily Telegraph as 'the wizard of the talking book', Martin Jarvis has made the voices of William and his gang of outlaws his own.

40 of Aesop's tales, specially adapted for young children. Read by Richard Briers, Jane Horrocks, Jonathan Pryce, Alison Steadman, Richard E. Grant, Lindsay Duncan and Brenda Blethyn.

Arthur Lowe reads these much-loved Mr Men stories, from the original BBC TV series, presented with original album sleeve notes. Join Mr Messy, Mr Snow, Mr Daydream, Mr Bounce, Mr Mean and Mr Chatterbox in these six delightful tales for children and adults... Mr Messy is messy by name and messy by nature - until he meets Mr Neat and Mr Tidy! Mr Snow is magically brought to life by Santa at Christmas - and helps deliver the presents. Mr Daydream takes a daydreaming boy on an amazing adventure.

When the Water Rat invites the unassuming Mole to spend his first day ever in a boat on the river, and wise Badger comes along for the ride as well, so begins a marvellous season of adventure for the three friends. Mr Toad (he of Toad Hall) completes a happy foursome, but his tendency to get into hot water leads him into some rather hair-raising scrapes of his own.

The BBC radio adaptations of Judith Kerr's internationally acclaimed trilogy - plus bonus documentary. Based on her own childhood experiences, Judith Kerr's When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a timeless classic loved by children and adults alike. This story of a Jewish family that escapes Germany just as the Nazis come to power is seen through the eyes of their young daughter, Anna, and traces their perilous journey. Also includes adaptations of Bombs on Aunt Dainty and A Small Person Far Away.

This superlative collection of children's stories brings together a feast of fantastic fiction, read in full by a host of top narrators and with a comprehensive track listing for ease of listening. Comprising everything from fairytales for little ones to thrilling adventures for pre-teens, these unabridged readings are ideal for families to keep, treasure and dip into as their children grow. 

Many of the original cast from Alan Bennett's acclaimed National Theatre production appear in this special dramatisation for BBC Radio 4 including Richard Briers as Rat, Adrian Scarborough as Mole, and Terence Rigby as Albert with Alan Bennett as the narrator. A wonderful, highly-acclaimed dramatic performance of a classic novel.

E Nesbit is widely regarded as the first modern children's writer. Her ground-breaking novels have influenced authors from Oscar Wilde to Jacqueline Wilson, and over 100 years after their first publication, they remain perennially popular. This wide-ranging collection comprises some of her very best children's fiction, commencing with her timeless tale The Railway Children. 

Julia McKenzie, Timothy West and Berlie Doherty star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Charles Kingsley's classic tale of a chimney sweep who becomes a water baby.

"If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?" These are the words of Peter's grandfather from Prokofiev's much loved musical fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf, which here is wonderfully narrated by Sir David Attenborough. This story introduces children to the magic of an orchestra through the tale of a clever young boy who, with the help of some animal friends, outwits a very hungry wolf.

Harriet Walter and Beryl Reid star in this full-cast adaptation of the much-loved children's classic. When spoilt young orphan Mary Lennox is brought back from India to live in her uncle's house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds the blunt ways of the staff at Misselthwaite Manor an unpleasant shock. Bored and miserable, it seems as though life in England will be awful. But Misselthwaite has hidden delights, and when Mary begins to discover them, nothing is the same again.

A brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the evergreen classic novel by Louisa May Alcott.

With their father away in the American Civil War, the March sisters are facing a lean Christmas with their mother. As the years go by, we follow the fortunes of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy on their journey into womanhood.

One of the finest storytellers of her time, Joan Aiken wrote over 100 books for both adults and children. Among her best-known works are the 'Wolves Chronicles', a sequence of novels set in an alternate 19th-century England ruled by Stuart kings. Included here are three tales from that magical, wolf-infested world - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea and The Story of Is.

The story of Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis and their life in the country has never been out of print since it was first published in 1906. Charming, sentimental, and unforgettable, the novel's enduring appeal lives on in this BBC radio full-cast dramatisation starring Timothy Bateson as the Old Gentleman.

Join in with Susan Sheridan and Jimmy Hibbert, as they sing along to 60 of their favourite nursery rhymes, complete with wonderful music and sound effects. Perfect for playtime or in the car, these classic counting songs, action songs and lullabies are sure to delight little ones.