CBeebies' George Webster releases novel on World Book Day

George Webster, famously known for his work on CBeebies has launched his book, which is published by Scholastic and co-written with his Cbeebies producer Claire Taylor.

The book centres around a character called George and his friends who celebrate their identities and their ‘magical ingredients'. 

Book cover of 'This is Me'- George Webster's debut novel. Image: BBC (Image: BBC)

• Interested in local family events and activities, and want to connect with other local families? Join our new Bradford Families Facebook group

George, who lives in Rawdon, said: “We’re so excited it’s release day.

“It feels so surreal, and we are so proud of this book.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to see the finished product.”

The book initially stemmed from a poem George read out on his first day at CBeebies and since then he’s worked with his producer, friends, family, and the illustrator Tim Budgen to bring this book to life.

When George joined CBeebies in September 2021 he became the channel’s first presenter with Down’s Syndrome. Since then, he’s changed perceptions of people with disabilities in the media and opened the minds of children.

The aim of ‘This is Me’ is to make young children more accepting of people with disabilities and to open the minds of parents and adults.

Claire said: “This book is just as much for adults as it is for children.

George and his friend Lauren. Image: BBC (Image: BBC)

“We want new parents to read these books so they can bring their children up to be more accepting, but also for parents who have disabled children, it’s good for them to be able to see their children in books."

George added: “When I was growing up Mr Tumble on CBeebies was my role model because he used Makaton and that’s what I used to use before I could speak.

“Diversifying literature is so important and it’s happening but there’s a long way to go.”

The book has been illustrated by Tim Budgen who worked closely with the team to ensure the characters were brought to life effectively and had a "special glow". 

Claire added: “It was important for us to show off each character and what makes them special.

“Give the characters their power and their special glow.

“It was a brilliant and unique experience to be working so closely with the illustrator.

“When we saw the black and white illustrations it was wow, and when we saw the coloured ones it was amazing.”

As part of promotion for the book, George will be reading to thousands of Scholastic school children via Zoom and will be heading up and down the country.

George said: “We’re so excited and proud of this book.

“We can’t wait to see how much children love it.”