Much-loved children’s author launches new animated series with free screenings in Scotland

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To celebrate the release of the pilot, she will be holding launch events in London, Perthshire, Dumfries and Edinburgh in January.

Families are invited to attend the sessions which are free and will include popcorn and juice, and will include a workshop.

Molly, who has written 18 books, supports a different charity with each title. This time she is supporting Tiny Tickers, which helps babies with heart defects have a fighting chance, so donations will be welcome.

You can find out more at https://Oscaranimation.eventbrite.co.uk

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Expanding the world of Oscar the ferry cat

Molly has worked with CGI studio Alex Pink to expand the world of Oscar, the Arbuthnotts' beloved family cat who went missing on a Caledonian Macbrayne ferry in April 2014. The wily feline managed to open the car window and escape – when they returned to the car in South Uist, there were pawprints on the bonnet but no Oscar.

He was never found but lives on in the Oscar and Friends series of books Molly has created.

“It is all about a sense of belonging,” she says of why the books have captured readers’ hearts and minds. “He is brave enough to try lots of different places and never really gives up until he finds the right place for him. But he’s also brave enough to know when something isn’t right.

“It is very transferable to lots of places and people; you can take his adventures anywhere really.”

A former teacher, Molly is a firm believer in not sugar-coating her stories. “I try to share tips in a non-judgemental way, and I speak on an equal level with children. I don’t try to gloss over anything because I feel it does a great disservice to children if you feel you have to dumb things down.

“Children are far smarter than we give them credit for, and they can deal with death and all sorts of things. So I include those in my stories, so they have access and knowledge of it to help them cope in the future. And I also make them fun, because kids like fun!”

And don’t think these books are just for children either – they are for anyone to enjoy and appreciate, she adds. “They are picture books and there is no difference between a picture on a wall and in a book. These days, when people’s attention levels are so short, a picture book helps because it can use different parts of the brain.”

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Animation is a true labour of love

The new animation of Oscar is a first foray which Molly hopes will be picked up more widely once people have the chance to see it on the big screen.

“I want to get people’s talking and thinking about Oscar,” she explains. It’s clear this has been a labour of love: much of the soundtrack of children singing was provided by pupils at Hill House School in Chelsea where she used to work, and Molly even has a cameo early in the 12-minute pilot.

After the initial three screenings, further sessions will be held in March to reach audiences across the UK.

Molly would also love to hear from brands who may be interested in being featured in future episodes.

Workshops will bring beloved books to life

Her other titles include Angus the Robin, Simon the Sloth, Eamonn the Bat and many others. And Molly, who is in the process of creating a writing base in Edinburgh, has toured the world offering sessions and workshops on her books, including for schools.

“I morphed into stories as a way of giving the best of myself to the world,” she adds, “I write stories with morals and messages, and the workshops are an extension of that.”

The Scotland screenings, at 4pm on January 26 at Caputh Village Hall, Perthshire, 4pm on January 27 at Robert Burns Theatre, Dumfries, and 4pm, January 28, at Barnton Bunker, Edinburgh, will each kick off with a workshop of Oscar the Ferry Cat book. Families can expect a session which is “interactive and creative and involved with the environment”.

And she is always keen to hear from schools who want to book an interactive story workshop or a storytelling session.

To find out more and get in touch, visit Molly’s website.