Book Week shows for students... by teachers!!                        Ph. 1300 BOOK WEEK

Teachers bringing
Books To Life logo
 
for students with THE ARTS!
 
Drama, Dance, Music, Visual Arts & Media Arts!!
Tony's past Book Week shows (above)

"Best performance we've seen for Book Week"

St Joseph's PS, Springvale, VIC

2025 LIVE BOOK WEEK SHOW

 

based on the CBCA

2025 Notable-listed Picture Book of the Year

 

General Waste

Written & Illustrated by Michel Streich

Published by Scholastic

 

August 16-23 is BOOK WEEK 2025

 

Theme: "Book An Adventure"

 
Check out our 2025 Book Week show here!!

 

Tony's Past Picture Book Shows
 
FAQ

 

 

 

Since 1999 "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed has been adapting CBCA short-listed & notable-listed books for the stage & performing them at the very highest standard at Australian primary schools.

 

He's performed for well over half a million students and counting.

See this...
A page from one of the books adapted to the stage by Tony

What We Do.....

 

Each year Tony & his creative team take their favourite of the short or notable listed "CBCA Picture Book of the Year" titles & transform it into an incredibly entertaining & engaging live stage show, performed to primary school students across Australia.

 

"Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed not only creates the show but performs it too, consisting of the highest level drama, dance, music, visual arts & media arts. As a qualified school drama, dance & English teacher who has adapted & performed 39 CBCA-shortlisted books nationwide, Tony's experience is unparalleled for Australian theatre in education. He ensures strong links to the Australian curriculum throughout the show, Q&A, and the follow-up support material & lesson plans.

 

He uses all areas of the Arts to present the book on stage: drama, dance, music, media arts & visual arts. There are original songs, masks, puppetry, props, costumes, painted & digital projections of sets, DMX coloured stage lighting, full sound system & wireless headset microphone, raised staging, dual digital projections, loads of audience participation, lots of laughs & a full, detailed Q&A session at the end of every show.

...become this!!!
Tony performing in one of his Book Week shows

"I've been a teacher for over 20 years and witnessed many performances, but this production was simply the best - totally professional, true to the book, thought-provoking, everything."  Narre Warren Nth PS, VIC

 

So why should you book with Books To Life?

 

  • A track record second to none! Director, writer & performer "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed has been writing, directing & touring Theatre In Education shows since 1999. Tony has created 46 Theatre In Education shows, 39 of those being Book Week shows, and 21 of those being Picture Book shows. Check out thousands of positive testimonials from teachers who have seen his Book Week picture book shows here!!

 

  • Qualified & experienced performing arts school teachers creating & performing the content! "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed writes, directs, choreographs, designs & performs the show. For 2025 he is co-writing the music with Matt Brown Dip.Ed. Both have a long history teaching The Arts in Australian schools, Tony in drama & dance & Matt in music.

 

  • All 5 of The Arts learning areas are covered extensively in the show! Drama, dance, music, visual arts & media arts are all deeply explored in various ways throughout the show, not simply drama or music. This covers more learning areas for your students.

 

  • A state-of-the-art technical setup that brings a true theatre experience to your students at school! Raised portable staging, huge dual digital rear projection screens, multiple DMX coloured stage lights, full audio setup with radio headset microphone & handheld mics for students, all programmed & sequenced via QLAB software, with painted & digital sets, props & costumes. It's cutting-edge technology & we even show you how to use the same tech simply for your school productions.

 

  • The very best theatre in education experience for every single year level at your primary school! Don't believe us? Read what the teachers say here!

 

  • A percentage of the performance fee goes directly to the book's author-illustrator! Books To Life always has and always will pay royalties to the author-illustrators of our source material, supporting Australian authors & illustrators into the future. We also pay royalties to all of our original music co-creators rather than simply playing fee-free karaoke tracks of existing pop music. As registered APRA members, you'll be supporting Australian music creators into the future too.

 

So what do you get with a Books To Life show?

 

  • Theatre In Education for Australian students at the very highest level!

  • A stage performance for kids to complement your school's CBCA 2025 Book Week parade!

  • A live stage show for primary students that will astound the entire audience for Book Week 2025!

  • Children's Theatre that sets the new standard across Australia for the 2025 Book Week season - Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia.. we tour our live show to them all!

  • Public Liability Cover of $30,000,000, Product Liability Cover of $30,000,000 & Professional Indemnity Insurance of $10,000,000! Click here!!!

 

 

Our recent awards & notable events

 

  • "2025 Children's Entertainment Service of the Year" Australia Prestige Awards;

  • "CBCA Book Week Launch Feature Act 2024 - That Bird Has Arms!” - Whitehorse Manningham Libraries, Nunawading Branch.

  • "Children's Entertainment Service of the Year - Victoria" 2024. Australia Prestige Awards;

  • "Children's Theatre Company of the Year" 2024. Corporate Live Wire Innovation & Excellence Awards.

  • "Best Book Week Live Show Provider 2024 - Australia" Acquisition International Business Excellence Awards;

  • "Innovation Award for Picture Book Live Stage Shows 2023 - Australasia" APAC Business Awards;

  • "Educational Theatre Company of the Year – Victoria" 2023. Australia Prestige Awards;

  • "Best Literary-Inspired Theatrical Performance Group 2023". Australian Enterprise Awards;

  • "Best Theatre in Education Virtual Production 2021: Littlelight". APAC Business Awards;

  • "Best Theatre in Education Provider 2020 - Australia" - 2020 Lux Life Magazine award;

  • "CBCA Book Week Launch Feature Act 2018: A Walk in the Bush” - CBCA Victorian Branch.

 

 

All of the picture books previously adapted & performed by "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed since Book Week 2000...