A popular author of children’s books spent a morning sharing stories at a wildlife reserve.
Julia Donaldson, who wrote The Gruffalo, charmed guests at the WWT Arundel Wetland Centre on Tuesday, March 24.
She performed a live reading from the picture book Gozzle, which features artwork by Sara Ogilvie.
Her visit signalled the beginning of the wetland centre’s fresh spring trail, based on the escapades of Gozzle the gosling.
Donaldson also shared excerpts from her latest release The Magic Feather, staged The Gruffalo alongside performer James Lewis and took part in an energetic rendition of What the Ladybird Heard with a cast primarily drawn from the audience.
The WWT Arundel Wetland Centre has partnered with Macmillan Children’s Books to guide visitors through the wetlands alongside Gozzle, a freshly hatched gosling learning what life involves.
Guests can trace Gozzle’s adventure along an outdoor interactive path at WWT Arundel through May 31.
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Julia Donaldson stated that she and Sara were thrilled their small gosling would be brought to life beyond the pages of the book.
She added that she had visited the impressive WWT wetlands previously, so she could envision how much families would appreciate exploring them and observing all the wildlife while following the Gozzle story trail.
Sara Ogilvie, the illustrator, noted that creating images for Gozzle centred on capturing those small yet significant first discoveries, so it would be lovely to see children making their own discoveries in the wetlands as spring arrives.
Elizabeth Pearce from WWT Arundel mentioned that spring ranks among the most thrilling seasons to visit WWT Arundel and that the Gozzle experience offers families an immersive, accessible way to enjoy it together while creating those initial cherished memories in the wetlands.
Supplementary activities during the Easter break and May half term encompass Gozzle’s vet check station, where young animal enthusiasts can nurse a toy goose back to full health.
Children can examine x-rays, discover how birds are measured and handled, and learn how WWT, the wetland charity, looks after its winged inhabitants in the manner of a genuine veterinarian.
The Gozzle wetland adventure forms part of standard entry to WWT Arundel, with complimentary access for WWT members, and is appropriate for families with small children.