Writer Niamh’s monster success story

Illustrator’s book for children, I’m a Happy Hugglwug, has been adapted into an animated TV series for Disney, says Pádraic Killeen

BASED on Niamh Sharkey’s award-winning children’s book, I’m a Happy Hugglwug, a new cartoon series, Henry Hugglemonster, premieres on Disney Junior next Friday. Aimed at pre-schoolers, the 52-episode series is produced in Ireland by Brown Bag Films and centres on Henry, who lives with his family in Roarsville.

Distinctively animated, the show is voiced by Geri Halliwell, Brenda Blethyn, and Brian Blessed (a cult figure on children’s TV for his turn as Grampy Rabbit in Peppa Pig). It will be broadcast in the UK, Ireland and the US.

Sharkey, a writer and illustrator, is the children’s laureate, a position created by the Arts Council and Children’s Books Ireland to enhance the profile of Irish authors of children’s literature. She devised the show with Brown Bag, one of Ireland’s most successful animation companies.

“They’ve got such a great track record with animations like Doc McStuffins and Octonauts,” says Beth Gardiner, vice-president of production at Disney Junior. “What’s really special about Brown Bag is the culture they’ve created in that studio. It’s a uniquely collaborative process.”

For Sharkey, who works alone on her books, animation was a revelation. “It was all new to me and I was totally blown away by the work that Brown Bag do,” she says. “You’re getting the best storytellers and visual people. And, as a parent myself, when I see good animation on TV, now, I really appreciate what goes into it.”

Henry Hugglemonster focuses on the middle child in a friendly, monster family. Like many cartoons for children, it imparts life lessons, but Sharkey says the emphasis is story. “The stories in the series are quite expansive,” she says. “We don’t follow a formula and each episode is almost like a mini-feature. They all tackle different issues but, from my point of view, I always come at it as a visual storyteller. I want a great story first, and then I’m happy if there’s a takeaway message.”

As children’s laureate, Sharkey has shown children how to draw and to create their own worlds in ‘doodle workshops’ and similar initiatives. One episode of Henry Hugglemonster integrates real-life children’s art. It shows how children’s television and books both originate with sketches on a page.

As children’s laureate, did Sharkey have reservations about moving from books to TV? “It’s a really interesting question,” she says. “Henry Hugglemonster is inspired by a book and the similarities are that, in both media, I’m telling stories. I know, as a parent, there’s always that question, ‘how much do you let your kids watch TV?’, and you have to encourage them to read books as well. I’m an advocate of reading and sharing books with your kids, but I’m very proud of what we’ve done on Henry Hugglemonster, and what I’ve brought as a writer and storyteller. My wish is still that people will watch it together, as a family.”

Henry Hugglemonster, Disney Junior, Feb 8