COTSWOLDS Radio has begun broadcasting a new storytime show featuring local author Jo Coker reading from her children’s book series, The Adventures of Henry the Field Mouse.
Many people have fond memories of gathering around the family radio to hear the “Listen with Mother” programmes broadcast by the BBC from the 1950s until 1982.
Now thanks to Cotswolds Radio, children have once again been able to enjoy listening to daily stories as they share the escapades of Henry the adventurous field mouse.
The new storytime show has been on air Monday to Friday at 4.15 pm, to coincide with the children’s school holidays.
For octogenarian Jo Coker, her recording sessions at the Cotswolds Radio station, housed in the historic Old Prison at the far end of Northleach, are yet another unexpected adventure to enjoy with her imaginary friend, Henry.
The characters featured in Jo Coker's books about the escapades of Henry the Field Mouse
She started writing stories about the amiable field mouse when her grandchildren moved to Hong Kong 20 years ago. She never expected her daughter Sue to keep her flimsy typed pages and create a colourful book of children’s stories from her collection of mouse tales.
“I was amazed a few years back when my daughter presented me with a book of my little stories, complete with beautiful illustrations,” said Jo.
“I had no idea she had been secretly working with an illustrator to make my countryside tales into a published book.” Since then, the mother /daughter team has published a second and third book in the series of Henry’s adventures.
The stories are aimed at three to seven-year-olds and try to be authentic with the habitat and appearance of the different animals introduced in each chapter.
“I wanted them to be reasonably realistic– so the mice, rabbit, squirrel, water vole and the rest of Henry’s pals are not wearing jackets and sitting around drinking tea!
“They are more likely to be scurrying under market stalls for a few cold chips, nibbling on lettuces in the veggie patch or digging new burrows in a riverbank!”
Jo is a retired florist and has been living in the Cotswolds for eight years. Her daughter, Sue Dockstader, works as a communications strategist for nonprofits in Washington state.
To buy your own copy, visit etsy.com/shop/HenryFieldMouse or adventuresofhenryfieldmouse.com
For more about Cotswolds Radio, go to cotswoldsradio.com
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