With the first episode shown on 1st February 2010, Tinga Tinga Tales is a CBeebies series that has inspired a terrific range of toys. Made by Tiger Aspect Productions, this 52-part series is based on classic African folk tales and tells the story of how many favourite animals came to be. Topics covered include all-important questions such as why do flamingos stand on one leg and why do elephants have such long trunks?!
Featuring the infectious music of Kenyan songwriter Eric Wainaina, the show is insipired by the beautiful artwork of Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga - a man who was born in Namochelia, South Tanzania. Many artists have continued the tradition of Tingatinga painting, often adding their own decorative imaginings beyond the 'big five' (tourist-friendly) animals typically seen in the traditional Tingatinga works that are made with bicycle-paint: elephant, lion, giraffe, hippopotamus and antelope.
The series was made in Nairobi in Kenya and hand painted by local artists before being imported into computers for animation. Designed to be watched by 4–6 year olds, the major toy licensee Bandai has developed a superb range of Tinga Tinga Tales toys. All the main characters in the show lend themselves brilliantly to toys - especially Monkey (the leader of the pack), Elephant (voiced by Lenny Henry) and Hippo. The characters that have also been made into toys include Lion, Tickbird and Tortoise.
Bandai have produced a wide range of Tinga Tinga Tales toys that capture the interest and imagination of children who love to learn and understand about cultures other than their own. The company has embraced the characters, stories, art and music to create some outstanding Tinga Tinga Tales toys that will appeal to children all over the world.
Complementing the toys are some audio and electronic books, as well as storybooks that will tell the animal legends that inspired Tinga Tinga Tales to be written and created as a major children’s TV series. The bright African colours and unique musical style looks set to ensure that Tinga Tinga Tales will be a huge success for many years to come.
Tinga Tinga Tales episodes include:
Why Elephant has a trunk
Why Giraffe has a long neck
Why Tortoise has a broken shell
Why Owl's head turns all the way round
Why Lizard always hides under rocks
Why Hen pecks at the ground
Why Spider has a tiny waist
Why Vulture is bald
Why Caterpillar is never in a hurry
Why Lion roars
Why Monkeys swing in the trees
Why Warthog is so ugly
Why Rhino charges
Why Jackal howls at the moon
Why Frog croaks
Why Hippo has no hair
Why Tickbird sits on Hippo's back
Why Chameleon changes colour
Why Hare hops
Why Leopard has spots
Why Bat hangs upside down
Why Crocodile has a bumpy back
Why Woodpecker pecks
Other African animals featured in the show include Porcupine, Hare, Squirrel, Eagle, Mosquito, Bush Baby, Snake, Aardvark, Crab, Wildebeest, Flea, Zebra, Parrot, Ostrich, Camel, Crow, Dragonfly, Hyena, Hummingbird, Baboon, Peacock, Whale, Mole and Skunk. Many of the Tinga Tinga Tales voices are provided by famous actors and actresses such as Meera Syal and Junior Simpson.
Tinga Tinga Tales is designed "to answer all your why's... because there's an answer beneath the Tinga skys!"
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