Sir Roger Moore is lending his voice to a worthy cause. The James Bond veteran partnered with GivingTales, a new app geared toward children, to raise funds for the United Nations Children’s Fund, more commonly known as UNICEF.

Released on June 18, 2015, GivingTales is a collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, narrated by Sir Moore, Dame Joan Collins, Ewan McGregor and Stephen Fry. The free children’s app is available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

“I’ve been a long time admirer of Hans Christian Andersen’s work, and I think it’s a wonderful collection of fairy stories for children and adults alike,” said Moore, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 1991.

Moore’s narration of “The Princess and the Pea” is included with download, but other stories narrated by Collins, McGregor and Fry are available as in-app purchases for $3.99 each. Thirty percent of the proceeds will be donated to UNICEF United Kingdom to help children and mothers in developing countries around the world.

The stories in GivingTales are presented in a contemporary yet timeless way, teaching important lessons with lively animation and modern language.

GivingTales CEO Jacob Moller explained that the app seeks to keep the essence of Andersen’s work, while simultaneously condensing the stories into 6 to 10 minute shorts. Through A-list narration and animated illustrations by Hungarian artists, GivingTales provides classic stories with a breath of fresh air and entertainment.

Developed by renowned illustrators and producers, GivingTales is confident that it will succeed in the tech market, having future plans to introduce a new story with a new narrator every six to eight weeks. According to Sir Moore, American celebrities will also eventually narrate. Currently, the app is only in English, but will be available in other languages in the near future.

Having a strong relationship with UNICEF, GivingTales hopes to positively change the lives of many children around the world with the profits that they earn. Additionally, the children downloading and listening to the books will benefit educationally, from reading along or learning a new lesson from the story.

Because GivingTales is new and young, it must fiercely market itself in order to successfully contribute to UNICEF. Tech savvy Sir Moore, however, is already busy promoting the app on his Twitter account, advocating for the children who need it most.

– Sarah Sheppard

Sources: The Guardian, Look to the Stars
Photo: iDigital Media