Little Seeds Music and Z-arts have secured Arts Council Funding to produce a new musical adapted from the children’s book Luna Loves Library Day, written by Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers. The book will be adapted by Joseph Coelho alongside family musician and composer David Gibb. Also confirmed for the creative team are director Dermot Daley, and designer Nomi Everall.

Gradually, with the gentle support of her family, Luna begins to regain her sparkle, but can they convince her that to be a real dancer, she must believe in herself? We are so excited that Arts Council are supporting the adaptation of this beautiful book into a musical for children and families. Audiences are in for a real treat as much loved Joseph and David work their magic together to create something really very special.” I fell in love with this beautiful book when it was first published in 2017, and knew at once that it would make a wonderful musical for children and families. I’m so excited to now have the chance to make that vision a reality, and to create a show that will be performed in the very spaces that it will also celebrate and promote.”

Illustrator

Luna Loves Library Day was mine and Fiona Lumbers’ debut picture book so it is one very close to our hearts. I have long wanted to see it on stage and know that with Little Seeds Music and Z-arts at the helm, Luna is not only in very capable hands but also in incredibly talented hands. I cannot wait to share our new adaptation of Luna with families in theatres and, of course, libraries!” Celebrating creativity, stories and play, this delightful board book is a new edition of the World Book Day book from a few years ago. It’s a special addition to the Luna Loves… picture book series, which is beautifully illustrated by Fiona Lumbers and written with great warmth by the Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho. In this one, children will enjoy guessing the book that each child has dressed as, and parents will appreciate the suggestion of decorating potatoes as book characters. Books are about more than costumes – they bring families and friends together when shared. This one is perfect for sharing. When Luna dances, she feels that everything comes alive: colours seem brighter, the volume louder, and sunlight appears to shine from every cloud. Luna is excited about her forthcoming dance exam, believing she will be a real dancer when she passes. However, while the other children in the class master the steps, Luna trips and stumbles. With each unsuccessful attempt, she loses a little more confidence and leaves the exam with a heavy heart, believing she is not a real dancer. In this new adaptation for the stage, audiences will join Luna and her Dad for a musical adventure among the library shelves as they discover magic, mystery, laughter, sadness and, through the power of stories, even start to mend their own history.

The production will be co-produced by Little Seeds Music and Z-arts, and supported by Big Imaginations, Wonder Arts, The Story Museum, and Manchester City of Literature. It will open in October 2023 at Z-arts in Manchester, before heading out on a UK tour. It will then enter a second phase of touring in February 2024, starting with a week-long residency at The Story Museum in Oxford.