This is a pacy fantasy adventure, jam-packed with groan-making jokes, and touchingly dedicated to Lenny Henry’s own childhood local library in Dudley. Following the mysterious disappearance four years ago of their father, twelve-year-old twins Bran and Fran are living with their mum in a small Midlands town. The show featured stand up, spoofs like his send up of Michael Jackson's Thriller video, and many of the characters he had developed during Summer Season, including Theophilus P.

Henry is associated with the British Comic Relief charity organisation, along with his former wife, comedienne Dawn French, and Griff Rhys Jones, and has hosted the show and also presented filmed reports from overseas on the work of the charity. I really do admire the children's bravery and was happy to find out what really happened to their parents! Henry's first book for children is as funny as might be expected but it's also quietly thoughtful and poignant, examining ideas of heritage, family, love and belonging in a way that lifts the Chosen One troupe out of the territory of cliché.The children find themselves left with eccentric local bookseller Madge as a guardian and their mother’s book of fantastical tales for comfort, unsure what to do next. Henry studied for an MA at Royal Holloway, University of London in screenwriting for television and film, where he received a distinction and where he is now studying for a PhD on the role of black people in the media. Twelve-year-old twins Fran and Bran and their mum live in a small town in the Midlands, Dad having mysteriously disappeared one stormy night on a family camping trip. Siblings can be annoying, a responsibility, and the best person to team up with – or all of those things at once!

But four years on, history repeats itself when Mum disappears in similar circumstances, apparently taken by a fork of lightning. However, stories are magical things – and it is not long before the pair discover that the Nine Dominions are of course real. Perfect for fans of fast-paced adventures, The Book of Legends, from comedian Lenny Henry is a laugh-out-loud magical story for 8-12 year olds, illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell. He also made guest appearances on television programmes including Celebrity Squares, Seaside Special and The Ronnie Corbett Show. With its wonderful evocation of a magical other-world and the warm-hearted dynamics of family love and friendship, this high-octane adventure will have youngsters giggling, gasping and guffawing from first page to last.

The book is illustrated by Keenon Ferrell and its unabridged audiobook edition is read by the author. But when their mum’s treasured storybook turns out to be a portal to another world full of mythical legends, everything changes. He has been a Trustee of the National Theatre since February 2016 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2015 for services to drama and charity. His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show, which he won in 1975 with an impersonation of Stevie Wonder. When their mum mysteriously disappears in a lightning strike, just like their dad, the twins are all alone and know they have to stick together – if only to face their new guardian’s terrible cooking!