Bing, Get Dressed

Story

In the first of Ted Dewan’s 10 Bing Bunny books, Bing, Get Dressed, Bing accidentally wets himself as he tries to put his clothes on. Luckily, Flop is always there to help out when things go wrong and soon Bing is dressed again.

Why we chose it

Being (or having) a toddler can be tough, and it‘s reassuring to learn that things don’t always go according to plan. ‘It’s a Bing thing!’

Each Bing Bunny story offers an affectionate and amusing slant on an everyday situation - from eating breakfast to going to the park. With their appealing characters, simple text and bright illustrations the stories delight toddlers and offer welcome solace to their (sometimes exasperated) parents and carers.

Where it came from

Ted Dewan is an American-born writer, illustrator and artist who lives in England and has created several much-loved installations for The Story Museum, including the Story Loom and Rochester’s Story Supplies.

When Dewan’s daughter was young, she loved to hear the Maisy Mouse books. But he soon grew tired of reading about Maisy’s perfect life, so wrote the Bing stories to celebrate the messy reality of being a toddler and acknowledge that it’s OK to make mistakes.

Where it went next

There are 10 stories in the original book series starting with Bing: Get Dressed. These inspired the hugely popular animated television series, Bing, which was first broadcast on CBeebies in 2014. The show has gone on to win numerous awards and several books have been published based on characters in the television series.

Associated stories

Other original Bing stories include Bing: Paint Day, Bed Time, Birthday Present, and Something for Daddy.

Dewan has written and illustrated picture books for slightly older children, including One True Bear and Crispin the Pig Who Had It All which won the Blue Peter Award.