“47 Minutes and Thirty Seconds that will be treasured for a lifetime.
Busy Izzy and Friends meet the Three Little Pigs The Musical premiered at the Castle Hill RSL at 10.30 am on Sunday the 8th October 2023. It was scheduled to run for 50 minutes. It came in just under.
I’m an adult. Quite an old one. I was there. I can tell you the children in the audience loved this show. They danced. They engaged with the characters on stage. They laughed and shouted. A few shed a tear as the Big Bad Wolf was a bit scary. But they loved it. Their parents did too. I’m sure they loved seeing their kids have such a great time.
The story telling, the choreography, the dancing, the costumes, the dialogue, and the award winning, original songs are world class.
On one level the show is pure, uplifting entertainment. On another it carries poignant messages of goodwill, inclusion, healthy living, whilst promoting friendship, personal safety, positive social skills, resilience and much, much more. Just the kinds of things the world could do with a lot more of. Right?
Busy Izzy and Friends is the brainchild of Sydney residents Roxanne Kiely and Stephen Kiely.
They worked long and hard to bring it to the stage and can be justifiably proud of what they have achieved thus far. There are big plans for the future.
The cast is magnificent. What can I say? Each and every one of them performed their heart out. The magic they created filled the rather large auditorium from wall to wall. It could and I predict it will, fill stadiums.
At the end of the forty-seven minutes and thirty seconds a very large proportion of the audience both kids and parents, swarmed around the cast for photographs and autographs. The best word I can pick to describe the scene is, ‘Joyous’.
If you have children or are a grandparent, one of the nicest things you could do for them is take them to see a Busy Izzy and Friends performance. I believe they will remember the occasion with exceptional fondness for the rest of their lives.” Al Crew, Creative Director, Marketing, October 2023
"Watched Busy Izzy and Friends meet the Three Little Pigs The Musical at
Castle Hill RSL this weekend with the family (8yo and 12yo & hubby). We all
loved it. Really well done, very clever, fun and upbeat with some really current
themes and issues for parents and kids alike.
The little kids loved it – they were up dancing and actively getting involved
with the performers. The performers were brilliant, really professional, strong
characters, great voices and storytellers. It really sparked some great
conversations with our family, from finding trusted grownups, to villains and
staying safe, what our body tells us and who is the real boss!
The show’s storyline and all the songs are written and produced by Roxanne Kiely and Stephen Kiely.
This show is so inspiring on many levels – it is great to see some new Australian talent out there that has performances telling stories that cross cultures and hopefully nations to bring us all together in a positive and thoughtful way protecting our kids and their future. Can’t wait to see where this goes!"
Teri Hobbs – Mum of 3 and General Manager, APAC at Deluxe Oct 2023
"Busy Izzy! What a fun and exciting character!..."
"Busy Izzy is so energetic, vivacious, friendly, and of course…busy! Oh, did I mention super cute too! Absolutely perfect for all kids seeking stories filled with adventure. So nice to have an Australian author creating a book that is perfect for both boys and girls and is so addictive. After hearing the first book my kids were wanting to hear more!
I also love the books about Busy Izzy's friends such as Talkative Tess, a character both of my girls can relate too, and can't wait to see what other interesting friends we may meet along the way. I absolutely love Busy Izzy books and look forward to following her and her next exciting adventure.
A perfect book for both boys and girls seeking stories filled with adventure, and is addictive. After hearing the first book, my kids wanted to hear more! What a fun and exciting character! Energetic, vivacious, friendly, and of course…busy! Oh, did I mention super cute too!"
- - Bec Hewitt (Mum of 3 kids)
"I love that the book is easy to read and follow...
My children were able to sing along with the songs almost instantly. They were engaged and still talking and singing about Busy Izzy after reading it and listening to 26 BFFs. They are looking forward to more Busy Izzy adventures.
- Sandra Santoro - (Mum of 3)
"I LOVE the Busy Izzy books! They are such fun stories to listen to. Busy Izzy is sooo likable! In fact, I think Busy Izzy and I could be friends.
I'll be waiting for each new Busy Izzy book to hit the shelves!"
- Mia Hewitt, 9 years old
I love Busy Izzy because it so much fun listening and dancing to the sing-a-long-song and the 26 BFFs. I also liked the names of the characters and the rhythm and rhyme of the lyrics and music.
- Brooklyn, 9 years old
I really like the Nix and Nax shop and the cake recipe. I enjoyed the sign language in 26 BFFs.
- Taylor, 6 years old
I love that Busy Izzy get busier!! I really like the alphabet song. I could sing along.
- Jaime, 4 years old
This capable, clever and confident character captivates and engages early readers with her “can do” attitude. Whether building a tree swing or rescuing a cat, Busy Izzy is the go-to girl who always gets the job done.
This community minded character displays care for all from her wondrous shop "Nix & Nax"; a warm, cosy environment where all are welcome and are made to feel like they belong. Readers can’t wait to revisit “Nix & Nax” in each new book to discover Izzy and her friends’ next exciting adventure
With gorgeous illustrations to prompt emerging readers, pages turn very quickly as children become lost in the rhythm and rhyme that sweeps these tales along. They provide excellent stimulation for children to read along and especially to read aloud.
Busy Izzy with her adventurous spirit is sure to encourage your little ones to get reading. After all, there isn’t anything that Busy Izzy cannot do.
Jodie Dunk, K-6 Teacher
"Dear Roxanne,
Thank you so much for visiting our preschool last week and sharing your stories and songs about "Busy Izzy" and her friends with the children. As a teacher, I particularly like that each story shares a message with the children - such as the value of listening in "Talkative Tess".
At our preschool we have a high ratio of children who speak English as a second language. It was great to see their attention was held as you told your stories, perhaps aided by the rhythmic and rhyming nature of them, even with no visuals for the children to look at. It would be interesting to see their reaction to your stories with pictures to enhance them and aid in following the storyline.
Your songs were also received well by the children. Particularly the one with repetition and many animal sounds familiar to the children. They were singing this song in the bathroom later!
Thanks again. I look forward to hearing more stories soon,
Kind regards"
Loretta Gardner
(Early Childhood Teacher - North Rocks Preschool)
"From the moment I read this book and listened to the content I loved it. It engages children of all ages immediately. It’s bright, vibrant, innovative characters are instantly popular and interesting with readers. The use of rhythm and rhyme of the text is terrific and can be used as an example for students to use in their own writing.
This is an excellent resource for teachers as it incorporates many areas of literacy and integrated other Key Learning Areas such as music. Teachers will be able to use this to
What an awesome resource that incorporates so much! Invaluable!"
- Sandra Santoro – BA Ed BA Teach – Teacher K-6/Assistant Principal
Jo Bird (MPhil ACU), a leading Australian researcher in the field of how child behaviour is affected by the proliferation of technology and will soon complete her PhD on the subject, agrees children have never been more exposed to images and language that are not necessarily positive and this is creating some challenges for parents and educators.
She believes it is important for children to experience a mix of media and books are a critical element of this. Further, books which promote values of inclusiveness and collaboration such as the Busy Izzy and Friends series are especially important.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continues to be concerned by evidence about the potential harmful effects of media messages and images.
A recent study conducted by the AAP showed 8 to 10-year-olds in the USA spend nearly 8 hours a day with a variety of different media, and 71% have a TV in their bedroom. It said young people now spend more time with media each day than they do in school.
The Academy recommended parents discourage screen media exposure completely for children under two years of age, keep TV sets and internet-connected electronic devices out of children’s bedrooms and closely monitor what media their children are using. It said parents and caregivers should establish a non negotiable family home use plan for all media which should include a mealtime and bedtime “curfew” of all media."
- Jo Bird (MPhil ACU)
"Beautifully illustrated, ‘Busy Izzy and Friends’ is book one in a series of children’s books that promotes a caring, fun-filled and busy lifestyle for kids. It is full of fun recipes, sensible advice about safety, and exciting adventures about Busy Izzy and her friends to follow. There are songs to sing, recipes to try out, and fun facts to learn.
Busy Izzy provides a great role model for children to follow by promoting an active lifestyle that is filled with cooperation and caring.“
- Sandra Graudins, Clinical Psychologist
