The Radio 2 journalist was inpsired by his own young children to write fun picturebooks which please both parents and children

Ham & High: Jason Korsner signs copies of his books What Can You See and I Like To Put Food in My WellyJason Korsner signs copies of his books What Can You See and I Like To Put Food in My Welly (Image: Archant)

If you're seeking a fun Christmas present for a young relative then you won't go far wrong with a pair of engaging picture books by Golders Green newsreader Jason Korsner.

I Like to Put Food in My Welly and What Can You See? were written with the journalist's two young children in mind.

The first, illustrated in bright colours by Max Low, uses playful rhymes to twist words and change meanings for a sequence of images in a way that appeals to children's sense of the silly.

What Can You See? illustrated by Hannah Rounding, encourages preschoolers to describe and relish the familiar world around them and everyday objects in their home.

The ex-UCS pupil says: "When my son was very young I would be reading him books that I had loved as a child but realised as an adult there was nothing much in there for parents. So I set out to write books that I wanted to read to him."

Korsner praises Low's colourful illustrations and Rounding's "gorgeous pictures."

"Hannah's were so beautiful, she drew things that weren't in the text and as well as loving the rhythm of the rhymes, kids like to point out things in the pictures. It really gets them involved in the book."

The idea came from carrying his young daughter around from room to room and saying 'look in the mirror, what can you see it's a picture of you and a picture of me.'

"It's for children just getting to know the world around them and interacting with these familiar places, the bedroom, kitchen or garden."

Korsner started his broadcasting career on university radio in York.

"It was rock based music programmes and ironically I tried to reduce the news output because I thought it was boring!"

After training as a journalist, he got his break in 1994 when a bomb went off outside Balfour House in North Finchley.

"I wasn't living far away and it woke me up at 1am. There were people phoning into the radio station so I and went down to find out what was going on.

"It was an attack on a Jewish charity building, I did interviews with witnesses and then did a piece for LBC."

Now around 60 percent of his job is reading the news on Radio 2, and 40 percent on Radio 4 under the name Jason K.

In the meantime he has two more children's books out next year under his full name, which he says will "play around with language."

"Most importantly they will be fun for adults to read as well as amusing for children," he adds.

Jason Korsner's books are published by Graffeg priced £7.99.