The nomination of small north eastern publishing company Shoo Fly for a BETT award is certainly something to write home about.

The product selected for nomination - an interactive software package for whiteboards called ‘Jack and the Beans Talk’ - is significant as Shoo Fly finds itself as a ‘Jack’ among the ‘Giants’ in the shortlist of exemplar products in literacy at key stages 1 and 2.

Shoo Fly, the brainchild of experienced and creative educationalist Anne Curtis and young designer Emma Jameson, currently operates from a busy little office in Anne’s home - a converted electricity sub-station on Wearside.

Since ‘Jack’ first came onto the market, it has received rave reviews from teachers, educationalists and educational journalists alike.

Successful reviews from the TES, Independent and others can be viewed on the company’s lively and informative website - www.shooflypublishing.co.uk.

'Among the many competent creative products, one emerges as outstanding, Shoo Fly's animated book Jack and the Beans Talk.'
Independent,November 2005

Shoo Fly’s resources are unique in that their content is developed through practical work in the classroom, working with teachers and children. Shoo Fly resources embed ICT, literacy and creative approaches to teaching and learning firmly in the school curriculum and, as one commentator notes, they do it with JOY.

'Good animation, sound, rhyme, pace and graphics make for an engaging tale and the basis for masses of literacy activities.'
TES, July 2005

The BETT show sees the launch of Shoo Fly's latest I-Fly Book -introducing the nice-y, spicy and somewhat madcap ‘Gingery Boy ’.‘Catch him if you can’ in both recorded and live sessions on stand SW66 on Wednesday afternoon. You can also chat to Shoo Fly's founder Anne Curtis and Shoo Fly's press officer, Keith Gregson.

And that’s it from the Gingery Boy ‘short and sweet’ and Jack ‘small and beautiful’ (just like Shoo Fly) and this modest (in terms of size at least) press release.

On behalf of all at Shoo Fly, Enjoy!
Keith Gregson, Press Officer.
ENDS