Christmas week kicks off on Monday 18 December with a brand new story from ever-popular CBeebies Bedtime Story reader Tom Hardy. Recorded earlier this year in his garden, Tom is accompanied by his French bulldog, Blue.

The award-winning actor, who first appeared on CBeebies on New Year’s Eve 2016, reads ‘Tisha and the Blossom’ by Wendy Meddour and illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. At this busy time of year, the book encourages us all to slow down and take notice of the world around us.

After reading the story, Tom says: “Tisha has taught me a great lesson, just slow down. The world can be a very, very busy place. Your mind can be full of sounds and pictures and just… busyness. So it is important to take your time to slow down and go at your own speed.”