Magic Hands
Season 2
Breaking new grounds by featuring poetry for children translated entirely into British Sign Language (BSL) and, at the same time, opening up the world of poetry to a younger audience.
Where to Watch Season 2
17 Episodes
- DaffodilsE6
DaffodilsDonna and Ashley bring us Daffodils by William Wordsworth, and A Musical Instrument by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. A mysterious flute leads Donna and Ashley on a musical adventure in which Pink Bird dresses up as the mythical Pan to play sweet tunes along the riverbank. All the creatures dress up as bright yellow daffodils to twinkle and dance across the hills. - The OdysseyE8
The OdysseyAimee and Ashley set sail to ancient Greece and discover The Odyssey by Homer. Bobbles has great fun as the one-eyed giant Cyclops. Deep in a dark cave, Leapy Lion is dressed as Odysseus, and hiding from Cyclops. With the help of his animal friends, Odysseus and his sailors put on a clever disguise to flee from the monster to their waiting ship. - A Song About MyselfE9
A Song About MyselfTo Autumn and A Song About Myself, both by John Keats. Pink Bird dresses up as Autumn, and Dixie the dog takes the costume of a buzzing bee. In this two-poem episode, Ashley also introduces Bobbles dressed up as a naughty boy who sets off with a knapsack and a head full of adventures. - Waltzing MatildaE10
Waltzing MatildaAshley and Donna discover Waltzing Matilda and Old Man Platypus, both by Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson. Today the Magic Hands creatures are off with Ashley and Donna to have fun in Australia. Bobbles the Bear, Dixie Dog and the rest of the Magic Hands creatures dress up a swagman, an unlucky sheep and a rather shy platypus, to explore the outback and discover what a billabong is. - RathersE12
RathersDonna and Simon discover Rathers and The Sandhill Crane, both by Mary Hunter Austin. Donna wonders what it would be like to be an animal and Simon decides he wants to be an owl. The pair head off on a nature trail with Pink Bird, Bobbles and all the Magic Hands creatures and meet a bouncing antelope, a rapity-tapity woodpecker and the graceful, red-headed sandhill crane. - The Lady of ShalottE13
The Lady of ShalottAimee and Ashley discover The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Look at what my hands can do! Ashley and Aimee are off to a land of knights and castles. Pink Bird dresses as the lonely Lady of Shalott and sits and weaves in her island castle. Cast under a magical spell, she can only view the world through her magic mirror, but when she catches the reflection of Bobbles as the dashing Sir Lancelot she cannot resist a look. - The Little Big ManE14
The Little Big ManSimon and Donna discover The Little Big Man and Clouds and Waves, by Rabindranath Tagore. Look at what my hands can do! Some tiny shoes and a silken shirt take Donna, Simon and the Magic Hands creature crew on an adventure back in time. Simon goes to Bengal where he meets a little boy who dearly wants to be a grown up, while Donna meets a little girl and her mummy, played by Bobbles the Bear, who live by the sea and imagine playing with magical people who live in the clouds and the waves. - The Sorcerer's ApprenticeE15
The Sorcerer's ApprenticeDonna and Simon discover The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Look at what my hands can do! Today, Dixie the Dog picks up a magic wand, casts a spell on a broomstick and ends up in all sorts of trouble. The Sorcerer's Apprentice has been left alone to tidy up and he commands Pink Bird, dressed as the broomstick, to perform his cleaning chores. Donna and Simon bring us Goethe's classic poem about how the trainee's spell goes horribly wrong. Dixie watches in horror as Pink Bird turns the magician's workshop into a horrible watery mess. - The TempestE16
The TempestDonna and Simon discover The Tempest, by William Shakespeare. Look at what my hands can do! Donna and Simon sail the squally seas in a medieval ship. Leapy Lion and Pink Bird dress as Prospero and Miranda from The Tempest and show us what happens when meddling magical Prospero brews up some very stormy waves to cause a horrible shipwreck.