Book Reviews

Puffin Books is one of the UK’s best-loved children’s publishers, with a backlist spanning generations of classic and contemporary titles for young readers.

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Puffin asked us to create a series of children’s book review videos to promote a selection of their new releases just before Christmas, also inspiring children and parents alike to give the gift of reading.

We made five films featuring children reviewing books including Adam Kay’s “Kay’s Marvellous Medicine” and Tom Fletcher’s “The Christmasasaurus and the Naughty List,” among other titles.

We helped cast the children from local schools, with some pairs naturally formed by kids who already knew each other and others matched by age or by the book they’d be reviewing. Every child was given their book to read in advance, along with some gentle guidance on what to think about while reading, a funny moment to remember, or a favourite character, for instance, so their reviews felt genuine rather than scripted.

Working with our award-winning Art Designer, Tracy Benner, we designed bespoke props that leant heavily into Puffin’s brand palette and Christmas imagery, aiming to visually enhance the magic of the set and create a real sense of excitement and wonder for the children, which we captured on camera as it happened.

Filming all the children in pairs created a natural, fun rapport that worked brilliantly to promote the idea of reading and gifting books together. We also partnered with Thinking Juice, who helped design the assets used on the shoot and create the animation boards for the finished films.