Taking advantage of global cross platform opportunities, BBC Worldwide has inked deals with children’s publishers Barefoot Books and Ladybird Books to commission a series of short films based on eight popular fables and read by CBeebies presenters in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Poland.

The films will appear as additions to the Story Time sections of the international CBeebies websites and will also appear on the CBeebies Facebook fan pages, on BBC Worldwide’s pay TV channels and on-demand services, the CBeebies British Airways’ in-flight channel, and on the CBeebies On The Go free app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad available across the Asia Pacific market.

Forty films will be created from the fables with Ladybird Books providing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Magic Porridge Pot, Cinderella, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Elves and the Shoemaker. Barefoot Books will offer Shopping With Dad, The Gigantic Turnip and Emily’s Tiger.

The digital launch has begun with films currently available on local websites in South Africa, Asia and Poland and the films will appear on television from February 2012.