We all have childhood shows that stay with us long after the credits roll. The characters, the theme tunes, the lessons woven into the stories — they shape our early memories more than we often realise.
For decades, Jocelyn Stevenson has been one of the creative forces behind many of those formative moments. From Sesame Street and Bob the Builder to Fraggle Rock and Fireman Sam, her writing has helped define children’s television across generations.
Along the way, Jocelyn has received both a BAFTA and an Emmy Award for her work — recognition of a career dedicated to storytelling that entertains while quietly educating.
Now bringing that same creative energy to children’s books with The Waterubas, Jocelyn continues to create stories designed to inspire imagination and empathy in young audiences.
I’m pleased to welcome Jocelyn to The Diary of Dad to talk about her journey through children’s television, the evolving conversation around screen time, and what inspired her move into publishing.
Jocelyn, your career in children’s television spans several decades. What first drew you to writing for young audiences?
In the late sixties, I arrived at Stanford University, headed for pre-med. I really wanted to be a doctor. At this time the “free school movement” was in full force, influenced by A. S. Neill’s Summerhill. I was fascinated – reading books by people like Neill, John Holt, Jonathan Kozol. But I was still headed for a science-based set of courses until one afternoon when I was walking around the beautiful Stanford campus. I heard a voice – in my head, but insistent – that said, “If you want to change the world, start with kids.”
I revised my plan and started to focus on psychology, with an emphasis on child psychology, continuing my reading on education. After graduating, I had the opportunity to help set up a “child-centred” pre-school in Palo Alto. An opportunity to walk the talk! Those of us involved shared the work, and one day it was my turn to stay and tidy up while waiting for the last few children’s parents to pick them up. As I was sweeping the floor, I turned on the television – something we didn’t do all that often – and Sesame Street was on. It was early days for the programme, and I had never seen it. The kids were riveted, and I confess that the floor remained unswept. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “They’re doing for millions of kids what we’re trying to do for 30! Get me to New York!”
You’ve worked on some of the most recognisable children’s programmes in the world. Is there a particular project that holds special significance for you — and why?
I’ve loved all the projects I’ve worked on – so it’s impossible to choose one. But I can choose two: Fraggle Rock and The Magic School Bus.
I was involved with Fraggle Rock from the beginning – there were five of us on the development team. The Fraggle Five! Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl, Duncan Kenworthy, Michael Frith – and me. Working with those gifted visionaries was amazing – and really fun. We laughed a lot. It was my first experience writing for television, and I learned so much from Jerry Juhl in particular. Plus I got to work with the world’s best puppeteers! What’s not to love?
I joined The Magic School Bus team as headwriter to helpfigure out how to translate the successful comic books (by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen) into television. The writers, producers and science consultants worked together to design an approach to writing scripts that put science at the centre. The stories were character-driven, as good television stories are. I brought what I’d learned from writing Fraggle Rock to The Magic School Bus – basically three act structure. We called it The Four Questions: 1) Whose story is it? 2) What is their goal? 3) What is their risk? 4) What do they learn? For the Magic School Bus, the answer to number 4, “the learn”, is always the science. The adventures were built around the science. The writing was really challenging, but incredibly satisfying when we got it right.
As parents navigate conversations around screen time in a digital-first world, what role do you believe thoughtfully created children’s programming can still play?
Thoughtfully created children’s programming – programming that addresses the questions “What do children need? What do they need to understand? To learn?” – always has a part to play. To help children learn and understand, they need to connect emotionally with characters. And the way that emotional connection happens is through well-crafted stories, where the audience gets to know and love the characters. The challenge is funding this type of programming.
After such a successful career in television, what inspired you to transition into writing children’s books?
I have written books to go along with television programmes I’ve done. And I did write one original book for 7-9 year olds back in the eighties called “O’Diddy.” But what inspired this particular shift into publishing was the pandemic. I’d originally developed The Waterubas to be streamed for television. Three seasons, ten half hour episodes each. To get that kind of endeavour off the ground, it’s best to meet with the broadcasters in person. When COVID hit and I realized I would have to pitch my third act heart-project to a Zoom screen filled with broadcast executives, people who knew I needed them more than they needed me – I just couldn’t do it. So I decided to write The Waterubas as books for 9-12 year olds. I wanted to tell the story as I wanted it to be. Did I know how to write a novel for a 9-12 year old? No! But I learned…!! And loved the whole process.
How did the concept for The Waterubas first come to life?
After I finished working with Mind Candy, the company that created Moshi Monsters, on “Moshi Monsters: The Movie!”, I realized that I’d ticked the last two boxes on my list of Things I Want to Do as a Children’s Media Professional: work in the digital landscape ✅ and do a feature film ✅. Time to focus all my experience and contacts on a Big Idea – a big idea like the one Jim Henson had when he asked us to create a series for kids that would help stop war. The big idea that emerged was WATER. When I started my research, people were just beginning to realize that by the year 2050, half the world’s population might not have access to clean water. So people who are children now will be adults then – and charged with managing the crisis. I couldn’t help but think it would be better if they faced the challenge with love and respect rather than fear and greed, right? So… how do you inspire children to love water, to have an emotional connection to it? Ruminating on those questions while doing a ton of research on water ultimately led to The Waterubas!
The second Waterubas book has recently been released. What can readers look forward to in this new adventure?
The world they discovered through Miriam in Book 1 just gets bigger and more exciting. Miriam’s father and three brothers come back from France, so they join the adventure. The bad guys get worse and the need to find more Waterubas gets more demanding. More people, more Waterubas, more urgency! Book 2 is incredibly exciting, if I do say so myself! I hope everyone who reads it feels the same way!
The Waterubas: Book 2 by Jocelyn Stevenson is out now.
Thanks for reading and a huge thanks to Jocelyn for talking to us. You can find more interesting parenting posts from The Diary Of Dad blog below.
