Penguin Random House & BBC Studios Launching First Bluey Audiobook Collection

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- BBC Studios and Penguin Random House are launching "Bluey: The Beach and Other Stories," their first Bluey audiobook collection, extending a book publishing deal the pair renewed in late 2024.
- Miranda Tapsell (The Sapphires) narrates the eight-story collection; she already voices Dougie's mum in the animated series produced by Ludo Studio for ABC Kids and co-commissioned by BBC Studios Kids & Family.
- Stories in the collection are Baby Race, Barky Boats, The Beach, Charades, Daddy Robot, Magic Xylophone, The Pool, and Typewriter — all drawn from the existing Bluey picture-book list.
- Global publication is set for September 1st, 2026.
- Jan Paterson, Director of Books and Audio Publishing at BBC Studios, called audiobook expansion a "natural next step" given Bluey's status as one of the top-performing children's publishing brands.
- Rianna Mezzullo, Publisher at Penguin Random House Children's Licensing, tied the launch to Australia's National Year of Reading, framing shared listening as a tool for families and early-years settings.
Why it matters: BBC Studios and Penguin Random House are extending the Bluey franchise — already one of the top-performing children's publishing brands — into audio with eight stories available globally from September 1, 2026. Rianna Mezzullo of Penguin Random House explicitly anchored the launch to Australia's National Year of Reading, positioning shared listening as a bridge for families and early-years settings.



