Entertainment
David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Richard E Grant and Dame Helen Mirren team up for new charity book series
The stars are out in full force for a new chidren’s book series promtoing equality and emotional learning (Picture: Getty)
Olivia Colman, Stephen Fry, Dame Helen Mirren, Richard E. Grant, David Tennant and Dame Emma Thompson, among other film and TV stars, have come together to narrate a collection of new animated stories for families with children aged six and under.
EQlicious features 12 digital stories and 60 activities – including songs, art and games – designed to boost self-esteem and communication skills, alongside celebrating diversity, emotional literacy and kindness, and offer help with mental health.
The Crown’s Olivia Colman narrates The Tale of Baby Beetroot, the adventures of a tiny beetroot in a big garden, handling big life changes, while Richard E Grant’s okapi character learns about the power of being unique in Is There Anyone Like Me?
Good Omens star David Tennant’s Helping Hands looks at the importance of community and explores societal norms around gender roles, while Dame Emma Thompson reads about the body and the soul in Head, Heart and Hands and Stephen Fry introduces children to a First Nation community in Kitchi’s Moccasins.
Dame Helen Mirren commented: ‘The early education of a child is so incredibly important and it’s so difficult for children, adults, young people, to wriggle out of their early education.
‘Empathy is the most important human emotion that we, as hopefully evolving creatures on this planet, will learn to have more of.’
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Killing Eve star Dame Harriet Walter, Succession actor Matthew Macfayden, Harry Potter thespian Noma Dumezweni, performer Shabana Azmi, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and comedian Ruby Wax also provide their voices to narrate stories for the collection.
Developed by Think Equal, an award-winning non-profit endorsed by Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Montessori Europe, and UNICEF, EQlicious aims to offer fun and practical, long-term solutions to issues like mental health, discrimination, abuse, violence, and inequality.
The Lost Daughter lead actress Olivia Colman narrates a story about a little beetroot (Picture: David Fisher/Rex/Shutterstock)
‘Think Equal’s mission is one that is so critical during these times,’ said narrator Olivia Colman. ‘The need to have empathy, be respectful, inclusive, gender equal, have self esteem and resilience has never been greater.’
She added: ‘It is so apparent that there are no quick fixes. Instead for real, meaningful and truly impactful change in this world, we have to start early with children so that we can prevent discrimination and mental ill health, and create peaceful societies with generations of happy, healthy and successful human beings.’
Dame Emma Thompson has also lent her dulcet tones to the project (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Filmmaker Leslee Udwin, founder of Think Equal, labelled the UK as ‘a country in crisis’ and explained: ‘We are calling for a systemic change – studies show that the best time for pro-social foundations, co-creating positive neural pathways in the child’s developing brain, is before the age of six. It is so important that our children are happy, and feel loved, and that we nurture their emotional intelligence and wellbeing.’
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She added: ‘I’m so grateful that with the help of our wonderful and talented celebrity supporters, we have been able to create beautiful stories with a meaningful purpose and positive outcomes for our children.’
The full EQlicious collection of stories and activities is available to purchase for £49, and, for every set purchased, a full set will be donated to five children in South Africa, Mexico or India.
The full EQlicious collection of stories and activities are available to purchase for £49 from here.
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