Keep Smiling is a celebration of the most universal symbol of hope, joy and positivity - a smile! Written and read by Dame Floella Benjamin, the bestselling author of Coming to England.
Vina's Mum has always told her that a smile is the best gift you can give someone. And as Vina loves smiling more than anything else, she gives the gift of her smile to anyone who needs it. But on her first visit to her new school, Vina's own smile gets a bit . . . lost. She can't find it under the slide, or on the climbing frame. Then, a smile appears, in the most unexpected place!
Floella Benjamin is an actress, presenter, writer, independent producer, politician, advocate for children throughout the world and is best known for the iconic TV programmes Playschool and PlayAway. She has celebrated over 50 years in the entertainment industry and has appeared on stage, radio, film and television. She has received numerous awards, including an OBE, a BAFTA Lifetime Award, the Women In Film & Television Lifetime Award and the JM Barrie Award for her legacy to children's creative arts. From 2006 to 2016 she was Chancellor of the University of Exeter and in 2010 she entered the House of Lords, where she speaks on diversity, equality and children's issues. In 2020 she received a Damehood for her charitable work. She chaired the Windrush Commemoration Committee, charged with creating a National Monument to the Windrush Generation which was unveiled at Waterloo Station on Windrush Day, June 22nd 2022. She has written over 30 books including My Two Grannies and the bestselling Coming to England.
Diane Ewen was born in Walsall, in the West Midlands. She has always loved art, and graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a B.A. Honours Degree in Illustration. Diane likes to create illustrations that are hand-drawn in pencil, which she paints in watercolour and acrylics before embellishing them using Photoshop, but she also enjoys working directly on the computer screen to create her characters and designs. Diane has won numerous awards, including the Jericho Prize, the Queens Knickers Award and the Children's Illustrated Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards, for her collaboration on Hey You!. An inspiring, self-esteem-boosting picture book celebrating the power of a smile, created by Dame Floella Benjamin, and illustrated by the award-winning Diane Ewen.
