'Jim Henson was magic'

Jocelyn Stevenson is queen of kids' TV with hits from Fraggle Rock to Thomas & Friends. So what's the secret of her success?

-  VIKKI WHITE

It's no exaggeration to say that over the past 45 years, Jocelyn Stevenson has touched the lives of most of us growing up throughout the UK.

As the author of a series of Muppet books and co-creator of Fraggle Rock, she also had a hand in classic children's TV series including Sesame Street, The Magic School Bus, Funny Bones, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, Pingu and Thomas & Friends.

To this day, people come up to Jocelyn saying, "you were my childhood". In 2015, she received a BAFTA Special Award for her outstanding contribution to children's media - across the pond, she is an Emmy Award winner too.

And now the Chicago-born writer who lives in the UK, has written the first instalment of her new creation, The Waterubas.

"I wanted a big idea and what could be bigger than water, which connects everything?" says Jocelyn.

The images in the book are created by her old friend Brian Froud, a British fantasy illustrator and conceptual designer of Eighties Jim Henson films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Made up of 99 per cent water and 1 per cent Ruba, each Wateruba has its own special colour and sings in its own special tone.

There are 81 Waterubas, who can be hard to spot because they never stop moving and came to Earth together on an asteroid four billion years ago. The book may be new, but Jocelyn's sheer imagination and creativity is not.