Delilah Darling is in the Library CBeebies Bedtime Stories

.

CBeebies Bedtime Story

Maybe this one...

Oh, hello. I'm Frances.

I'm just looking at all of these lovely books

and wondering which book to start reading.

I'm just not sure which one to choose.

I know who could help me.

Delilah. Do you know her?

She loves reading books.

Let me tell you about her in tonight's bedtime story.

It's by Jeanne Willis and Rosie Reeve,

and it's called Delilah Darling Is In The Library.

My name is Queen Delilah.

I come from a land far, far away.

Only, my mother likes to keep it secret.

She always says, "But Delilah Darling, you were born here,

"and, no, Delilah, you cannot wear a crown to school.

"You're not a queen."

That is nonsense, I'm afraid.

If you don't believe me, ask my brother. Smallboy.

Only, you won't understand him,

because he only speaks Far Away Language.

And don't ask Daddy because he's busy.

Now this is Gigi.

She is my Old Pear.

An Old Pear is someone who tries to look after you

until your mother comes home.

She is French, which is a place in France.

Gigi says, "Come, Delilah, my little cabbage.

"Let us go to the library."

Oh, good. I love looking at books. And smelling them.

And shutting them like this...SNAP!

When I get to the end.

The library's full of extremely interesting books.

Some have pictures, some have words,

and this one has a squashed baked bean on page five.

Smallboy's hungry, so I asked Gigi, "When will they bring the buns?"

And she says, "What is buns? I am not understanding.

"Ask that librarian."

So, me and Smallboy go and ask Librarian, but she says,

"No food in here, please."

And I say, "Really? Where I come from everybody eats in the library."

There's a man who walks around with a big tray and he shouts,

"Who wants a bun."

"Sh!" Says Library Anne. But everyone says, "Ah! Are there buns?

"Are they free? We want buns!"

"Now that," says Library Anne, "is why we don't shout in the library."

Library Anne says, "I don't know where you come from,

"young lady, but we have different rules in this library."

I tell her, "I come from a land far, far away."

"Well, run along and find a nice book about it," she says.

So, I run along, but Library Anne says,

"No running in the library, please."

Which is odd, because, where I come from, everybody runs in the library.

I try to find a book about the land where I came from, but I can't.

Anyone would think that it didn't exist. Then Smallboy says,

"Try up there." In Far Away Language.

So, I start to climb, but Library Anne says, "Goodness, come down.

"That is not how we fetch a book."

I say, "Oh, I'm sorry, only, I couldn't find the trapeze.

"Where I come from,

"there is a trapeze to reach the too-high books."

"Hey, I like the trapeze idea." Says Mrs Woolyhat.

"I'm short. I never get to read the too-high books."

Library Anne says,

"There are much more sensible ways of reaching books.

"I will help you find the book properly.

"Now," she says, "tell me the name of the land where you come from."

Only I can't, because it's very hard to say.

Smallboy tells her in Far Away Language,

but she doesn't understand.

So I explain that we come from

a tiny little island

between Jafrica and Smindia.

Only, Library Anne has never heard of such a place.

Library Anne opens a big book and says, "Here is a map of the world.

"Can you point to where you come from?"

But, would you believe it?

The person who drew the map forgot to put it on.

So I give Library Anne a map I made

to show her what the world is really like.

Where I come from, we have our own animals,

our own rules, and everything.

We even have our own song called Hooray For Queen Delilah,

which I wrote.

"I'd love to hear that!" Says Mrs Woolyhat.

So I stand on a chair and sing it.

Mrs Woolyhat joins in.

Library Anne says,

"I wish I lived far, far away. Please stop singing."

"Delilah Darling," says Gigi, "I think it's time to say au revoir."

We go home.

I tell my mother about the library.

It was extremely fun.

And I borrowed a lovely book called Tropical Diseases.

But it was nothing like the library in the land where I come from.

"But Delilah Darling," Mother says,

"you come from here! We all do."

We don't, though.

She's just pretending.

Funny old thing.

"Oh, Mother," I sigh,

"Sometimes I think you're living in a world of your own.

"Yes, I know I'm holding my library book upside down.

"Where I come from, that's how everybody reads."

And that story was called Delilah Darling Is In The Library.

I think I'd like to visit the land where Delilah comes from.

It sounds a fun place to be

with songs, buns, and blankets.

Maybe you'll go there in your dreams tonight,

because it's time for you to go to bed.

I'll see you soon for another story. Night-night.

Now, which of these books

would Delilah like to borrow

from the CBeebies story seat?