WITH an appearance at Glaston-bury this year and an album out, there’s no doubting Rastamouse’s star quality.

Next week will see the creators of the reggae-loving mouse, who’s ethos is to “make a bad ting good”, at the Rayleigh Arts Festival.

Author and illustrator Genevieve Webster and Rasta-farian swimming instructor Michael De Souza, who co-created the little mouse and saw him become a star on CBeebies, will be appearing for a reading and talk at the festival.

Michael says: “We’re going to introduce the children to Rastamouse with a story.

“And they’ll be able to participate in the story.

“We usually ask for volunteers to help us read it and the reaction is usually really good. We’re never short of volunteers.”

The pair created the peace-loving mouse, who’s usually seen hanging out with his Easy Crew band mates Scratchy and Zoomer as they take breaks from making music to solve crimes and mysteries, from an initial idea of Michael’s.

He says: “It was a total and complete collaboration.

“It was a little rough work of something I did. Genevieve liked it and decided to put in an image as well.

“We decided we’d try and form a very simple children’s book, but when we looked at the character we just thought no, it deserved much more than that, we wanted to give it a good story and a lot more going on.”

The result was a series of Rastamouse books written in rhyme and featuring distinctive Jamaican patois – which Michael and Genevieve self-published – but it wasn’t long before TV companies began to get interested and started making offers.

Genevieve says: “We had been approached by a few different people.

“And we managed, very bravely I think, to say no to the wrong people and yes to the right people.”

Determined to only accept an offer that stayed true to their beloved creation, the pair took a little convincing from producer Greg Boardman. But when they saw the stop-frame animation from animator Derek Mogford, they knew they had found the right team to work with.

Genevieve says: “Both of us felt that was right for Rastamouse.

“We’d grown up with the Clangers and stuff like that, and we loved the human touch you get with that kind of animation.

“What is brilliant is the team that work on it is quite small. Michael and I are involved every step of the way – that’s why it maintained the quality of the book. It was nervewracking when we made that step – Rastamouse is our baby.”

The next challenge was finding the right voice to give life to the cheeky critter. After extensive auditions, Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates was chosen.

Michael says: “It was a struggle, but an exciting experience.

Genevieve adds: “Like everything we’ve done with Rastamouse, you go with your gut instinct. That’s what you do with your kids, you follow your heart and try to do the right thing.

“Reggie kind of embodies lots of the things we wanted with Rastamouse, like the warmth and loving quality, with his voice.”

Despite it’s popularity, Rastamouse was not without controversy. Soon after it launched, there were reports of complaints the cheese the mini-hero was constantly scoffing was a reference to cannabis and the Jamaican patois the characters spoke in was enforcing negative racial stereotypes.

Michael says: “It was a bit boring. To be honest it got on our nerves because you know there is no substance to it. It was tedious.”

Genevieve adds: “If something becomes popular and a lot of people like it, you’re always going to get those people who try to say something negative.

“The overwhelming resp-onse was positive, so it didn’t get to us too much. We knew what we were trying to do was something full of love for children.”

No complaints dented the popularity of the little mouse and his furry friends. He made his debut live performance at Glastonbury this summer. Genevieve says a stage tour is in the offing, as well as a DVD out in October.

Describing the Glastonbury experience Genevieve says: “It was very exciting. It was lovely being there, because we were there doing readings in the storytelling tent and we also had the Easy Crew performing for the first time. It was really emotional.

“The Easy Crew did a walkaround to meet and greet adults and children. It was just so lovely – the kids were queuing up to give Rastamouse a cuddle.”

Explaing what she thinks the appeal of her loveable creation, Genevieve adds: “I think he’s incredibly cool. I think he’s got all the qualities everyone would ideally want to maintain at all times – the kindness and caring and sharing, the understanding and the ability to make a bad thing good without any super powers.”

The Rayleigh Arts Festival runs from September 17 until September 23, and includes music from the Swinging Belles, a talk on antiques by Mark Stacey, Essex storytelling laureate Mike Dodsworth telling some well-loved tales and an open mic event run by Sundown Arts, featuring local writers and poets.