This is me. I am George. My eyes are sparkly, just like my mum. Like my dad, I'm determined and brave, and like my sister, I'm full of FUN!

We don't all have to be the same. Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone had the same name. With bright and engaging illustrations alongside a genuine and heartfelt story, This is Me is the perfect picture book for any child. We all have our individual likes and dislikes, enjoy different activities and have the ability to shine in our own ways. We each have a unique set of ingredients that make us – well, us.There is some disagreement in the house about whether George’s singing is a strength or a weakness. “They say my singing is really bad,” he says. When I was a kid, there was no one on TV, in films, even in books, with Down’s syndrome,” George says. “At that time, they thought people like me shouldn’t go to mainstream school.” Sounds like there’s a message going on here. “Quite a few messages,” George says. “Everyone has their own talents, uniqueness, strengths and weaknesses. We can all dream big, no matter who we are.”

This is Me will bring out the glow in everyone! Our differences make us special. We don't all have to be the same. Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone had the same name. In this beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated picture book, a little boy called George wants to tell you all about himself. CBeebies, you have made a mum of a little boy just like George so excited. You are the best,” tweeted Karen Taylor. One father posted a picture of himself and his daughter, who has Down’s, saying: “Go George!!! We are so excited to see you.”

I was screaming down the phone’ … George Webster on landing his job at CBeebies. Photograph: Paul Husband/CBeebies

This is me. I am George. My eyes are sparkly, just like my mum. Like my dad, I’m determined and brave, and like my sister, I’m full of FUN! Through vibrant illustrations and rhyming text, George introduces us to his family, hobbies and interests. We also meet lots of his friends and observe the wide variety of ways in which people can communicate, play, get around and have fun. The inclusive cast of characters are even based on George's real friends. He was talent-scouted by the BBC from his work as an ambassador for Mencap, the charity for people with learning disabilities. Earlier this year, he was asked to record a myth-busting video for BBC Bitesize, in which he dispelled some of the common misconceptions about people with Down’s syndrome. He began it by saying: “I call myself George because that’s who I am. Not Down’s George.”

Tim Budgen is the outstanding illustrator of bestselling books such as Twenty Dinosaurs at Bedtime, Twenty Unicorns at Bedtime and The Magic Pet Shop series. Tim’s illustrations are bright, engaging and perfect for children! A message from the next generation, via Rachel, the publicist: her four-year-old son has Down’s syndrome. “Ethan knows George from the television. It’s absolutely amazing for him to have a role model like that.” We are sitting round the kitchen table in the family house in the village of Rawdon on the edge of Leeds. George’s dad, Rob, is hovering, in and out. Rachel, a publicist from the publisher, is here too: we’ve got the first copy of the book, hot off the press, and George is talking me through it. It’s a children’s picture book: an autobiography called This Is Me. So, this is George, at home with his parents and sister Lauren. “I have an extra ingredient, a sparkling of magic inside,” he reads. “Some people, they say that I’m special, but that’s not what I think … You see, we’re made of different ingredients that help us shine like a star. My glow is what makes me who I am, and yours will make you who you are.” Ouch! And I’m suddenly having quite a lot of sympathy for his mum, in the bath after a long run. Now he’s the villain. George Webster: inspiration, ambassador, actor, pioneer, role model, myth-buster, Bafta winner, best presenter, top dancer, top bloke, all-round legend … and a song murderer. Still, like he says: “Everyone has their own talents, uniqueness, strengths and weaknesses.” And he got a small part, playing a telegram boy, in The Railway Children Return, with Sheridan Smith. The nice thing about that one was that it wasn’t a part for someone with a disability; it was just a part. “I went to the premiere and I was talking to the director, Morgan. He was saying he’ll get in touch with my agent – he would be interested to work with me again.”