A very special storytime, and your chance to win a Kiri + Lou book

Do you know about Kiri + Lou

They are cutely prehistoric. They are animated. They are very good pals.

Kiri + Lou are the stars of a very cool but also extremely wholesome TV series for kids that's made right here in Ōtautahi. 

Kiri, the yellow dinosaur is voiced by Olivia Tennet. Lou, the big purple mammoth-y type creature (technically a Palorchesie) is voiced by Jemaine Clement. The series also features music and songs by Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan (of kiwi band, The Front Lawn).

Last week at Tūranga we were extremely lucky to have a special guest, Olivia Tennet reading stories, singing songs, and dancing up a storm at a Kiri + Lou Wā Kōrero / Storytimes session. 

Dancing, Kiri + Lou storytime
Olivia and Susan lead everyone in a good old foot stamping time.

An enthusiastic crowd of littlies and their grown-ups got to hear Olivia read Kiri + Lou stories, Womp womp womp and What do they like? And when Olivia moved from her normal speaking voice into her Kiri character one of my library colleagues exclaimed, "it's really her!", it being difficult to imagine a human woman as a yellow dinosaur... but maybe with your eyes closed? 

At one point Olivia mentioned that even her own 3 year old doesn't believe her when she says she is Kiri!

Olivia Tennet, Kiri + Lou storytime
Olivia Tennet trying to explain to preschoolers that she IS Kiri, really.

We also got to see one of the clay models of Kiri that are brought to life by the animators who work on the show.

Dinosaur librarian!
Kids line up to say kia ora to the dinosaur librarian.

Olivia, ably assisted by children's librarian, Susan, kept everyone happy and entertained with a mixture of stories, which are based on songs from the series, and dinosaur themed singing and dancing, which included fan favourite, Yum, yum baronies.

There was even a special guest appearance from a real live "dinosaur". And a Kiri + Lou sticker, and colouring-in sheets were on offer on the way out.

Missed this event but want to enjoy some Kiri + Lou stories at home? Enter our competition below and go in the draw to win a copy of picture book What do they like? and board book, Flowers & flowers & flowers.

And if you miss out on a prize, the Kiri and Lou books are available at Whitcoulls!

More Kiri + Lou