Rose Ayling-Ellis will make her debut in CBeebies’ story corner this weekend.
The EastEnders actress and Strictly Come Dancing winner tells the story of a young bear and his dad on their journey into the discovery and management of deafness.
She signs ‘Can Bears Ski?’ written by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar, a story which draws on the author’s own experience to show how isolating it can be for a deaf child in a hearing world.
Rose said: “I am super excited to read my first CBeebies Bedtime Story in British Sign Language and it’s even more wonderful to share a story written by a deaf writer.
“I hope deaf children enjoy the story and it inspires hearing children to want to learn BSL more!”
The BBC share: “This is the first ever BSL signed story, which is also subtitled, with Rose speaking only to introduce the story and afterwards to say goodnight to the young audience.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis’ CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on Sunday, 8 May to mark the end of Deaf Awareness Week. This is the first of two stories she has recorded for CBeebies.
CBeebies Bedtime Story is on daily at 6:50pm and on iPlayer.
Episodes signed by a BSL interpreter air every Saturday and Sunday.
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