CHILDREN at an Oxfordshire school have created an animated film based on one of their favourite books. And the two-minute movie by the class of five-year-olds from St Nicholas Primary School, East Challow, near Wantage, came second out of more than 150 entries in a national competition.

The animated film is a trailer for the book Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins, which the 11 youngsters read as part of a class project on the seaside.

After reading the book and visiting the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth, the children turned to their own imaginations to create and draw an array of vivid, colourful sea creatures, which they animated.

Headteacher Margaret Kelly said: “The class teacher invited in Stuart Taylor who has great expertise in ICT and he worked with the children.

“I think the fish are absolutely brilliant.

“Every single one of them is different, inspired partly by their trip but obviously also their own imaginations.

“I think their work on this has been outstanding – but I knew they had it in them.”

The children, who won computer animation software as their prize, sent the film to author Ms Cousins, who wrote back saying: “I will treasure my copy. It was my book that inspired you and now your film has inspired me.”

Year Six pupils at Chilton Primary School also took part in the contest, and their film trailer of Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Graves was a runner-up in the under 12 section.

Both films can be watched at filmstreet.org.uk under links to the Animate IT ‘09 competition.