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Happy World Book Day!

Vernon celebrates Britain's biggest day for children's books, World Book Day 2026, with bestselling author Julia Donaldson joining us for Tracks Of My Years all week.

Vernon celebrates Britain's biggest day for children's books, World Book Day 2026, with bestselling author Julia Donaldson joining us for Tracks Of My Years all week.

Julia is the brilliant writer behind an incredibly successful series of children's books, including The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Zog, Room on the Broom, The Smeds and the Smoos and many more. Her books have sold more than 50 million copies and have been translated into over a hundred languages and dialects across the world. Her latest book, The Magic Feather, will be published in March, and the highly anticipated new Gruffalo adventure, Gruffalo Granny, is coming in September.

Plus two contestants take on the mid-morning music quiz Ten To The Top, and Vernon digs in the BBC Archive for Vernon's Vault.

A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 2.

12 days left to listen

2 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Thu 5 Mar 202609:30
BBC Radio 2

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Julia Donaldson chooses her final Tracks Of My Years

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Music Played

  • Duran Duran

    Hungry Like The Wolf

    • Fantastic 80's - 3 (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.

  • The Weeknd

    Blinding Lights

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal Republic Records.
    • 1.

  • Rick Astley

    Waiting On You

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG Rights Management (UK).

  • Anita Ward

    Ring My Bell

    • Songs Of Love.
    • Big Break Records.
    • 9.

  • Nik Kershaw

    I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

    • Fantastic 80's - 3 (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.
    • 4.

  • Tom Jones

    It's Not Unusual

    • Fifty Number Ones Of The 60's (Variou.
    • Global Television.

  • Black Eyed Peas

    I Gotta Feeling

    • (CD Single).
    • Interscope.
    • 4.

  • Gorillaz

    Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar)

    • The Mountain.
    • AWAL.

  • Lady Gaga

    Bad Romance

    • Now That's What I Call Music 75 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
    • 1.

  • Alex Warren

    FEVER DREAM

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.

  • Brothers in Rhythm

    Such A Good Feeling

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal.

  • The Who

    Won't Get Fooled Again

    • The Who Hits 50! (Deluxe Edition).
    • Polydor.
    • 021.

  • Appleton

    Falling Into You

    • (CD Single).
    • Appleton Recordings.

  • Chris Rea

    The Road To Hell

    • The All Time Greatest Rock Songs ....
    • Columbia.

  • Ian Dury & the Blockheads

    Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

    • Fantastic 70's (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.

  • U2

    Song Of The Future

    • Days Of Ash E.P..
    • Island.

  • Dua Lipa

    Be The One

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Bros.

  • Alison Limerick & BBC Concert Orchestra

    Where Love Lives (Radio 2 Piano Room, 11 Feb 2026)

  • Bruno Mars

    Dance With Me

    • The Romantic.
    • Atlantic Records.
    • 9.

  • Modern Romance

    Best Years Of Our Lives

    • The Platinum Collection.
    • Rhino.

  • Def Leppard

    Rejoice

    • (CD Single).
    • Mercury.

  • Sheryl Crow

    Oh Marie

    • Sheryl Crow.
    • A&M.
    • 10.

  • The Proclaimers

    Sunshine on Leith

    • The Best Of The Proclaimers.
    • Chrysalis.

  • Squeeze

    You Get The Feeling

    • Trixies.
    • Love Records.

Broadcast

  • Thu 5 Mar 202609:30
    BBC Radio 2

Ten To The Top

Ten To The Top

Get all the details of how to enter and listen to Vernon's daily music quiz.