When Simon drew things with chalk, they would become real in the land of chalk drawings. His friend Henry lived there, and he would visit by climbing up a ladder and over a garden wall. This is the premise of Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, a 1970s-era British children’s animated series that was also shown on the American television shows Captain Kangaroo, Pinwheel, and Romper Room.

Narrated by Bernard Cribbins, Simon’s magical chalkboard adventures were based on stories by Edward McLachlan. Via Wikipedia, “the stories often revolve around the unintended effects that Simon’s drawings have on the Land of Chalk Drawings…” One example, above: Simon and the Chameleon.

In the episode below, Simon and the Elephant, Simon helps an elephant who feels sad and wants to be musical.

There’s a book with four stories that inspired the animated series and a VHS tape of 12 adventures available on Amazon. For now, you can also find twelve shorts online.

Watch this next:

Osvaldo Cavandoli’s La Linea

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Plus: Elephant and chameleon videos, including Shanthi Plays the Harmonica and How (and Why) Do Chameleons Change Color?