Children’s stories on television are stripped of adventure and risk, according to two of Britain’s most popular children’s authors, as they warned against the “overprotection” of young audiences.

Julia Donaldson and Sir Michael Morpurgo will see adaptations of their books on the BBC this Christmas. Donaldson’s The Snail and the Whale is to be shown on Christmas Day, followed by Morpurgo’s Mimi and the Mountain Dragon on Boxing Day.

But Donaldson suggested that her books are considered a safe option for the screen - previous adaptations have included The Gruffalo and The Highway Rat - because they tend to feature animals and magical creatures rather than children.

Asked in Radio Times if she worried about telling tales of risk “in an age of anxious overprotection”, she replied: “Oh, yes. “There’s this muddled attitude sometimes, when books are made into films. People have an idea that children can’t tell the difference between stories and real life.

“In a TV drama you can’t show a child as an orphan, or with parents away. Parents have to be seen, so you can see that they’re being kept an eye on.

“I think that’s why a lot of editors like a book about animals: animals can be shown taking risks. Otherwise it’s, ‘Oh dear! This child took something from a stranger! Can’t have that…’”