CHILDREN'S author Bob Hartman was at Malmesbury Abbey last week reading stories from his books.

The former pastor has been working as a performance storyteller with children for the last 12 years and entertained more than a hundred children and parents with his unique performance.

Mr Hartman was performing at the abbey bookshop and manager Robert Hitchings said everybody enjoyed the show.

He said: "It was very successful. He had the children and parents involved in all the stories and he was very funny and larger than life.

"He even managed involve the younger children, which is quite an art."

Mr Hartman has written a number of books including his latest The Wolf Who Cried Boy, published by Lion Children books.

He performs at schools, bookshops and major festivals throughout the UK and also in the USA, including the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.

Mr Hartman's storytelling focuses on getting children involved, said Mr Hitchings.

Most of his stories have a Christian theme and children were playing 'stars and moons' with everybody taking a role in the story of creation.

The audience even had to pretend they were water in the New Testament story of Jesus calming the storm.

There was also a craft workshop where the children made bookmarks that were then signed by Mr Hartman.