A new character created by children's author Catherine Cannon, is being praised by the National Farmers' Union and Jimmy Doherty, of the Channel 4 show Jimmy's Farm, for encouraging an interest in farming among young children.

Felix the Fast Tractor, who stars in a range of books aimed at 2 - 6 year olds, is capturing the imagination of youngsters throughout the UK and this looks set to continue with the new title in the series, Felix the Fast Tractor and the New Building, when it is published on 12th July.

With recent statistics released by the NFU showing the average age of a farmer is now approaching 60, it has been revealed that more than a generation of children have been turning their backs on the agricultural industry. Launching its 'Why Farming Matters' campaign earlier this week, the NFU is aiming to attract school leavers into the agri-business and say that characters and books like Felix the Fast Tractor, aimed at young school children, make it easier for them to target the same children as they start to consider their career options.

The delightful tales of rural life are punctured with factual and helpful 'want to know more?' sections, where readers can find out about low-loaders, diggers, preparing a site for a new building, the laying of foundations and, of course, the workings of Felix himself!

Felix lives with the Story family on Ambers Farm, near the village of Glempsea, where he plays a vital role in the running of this busy working farm along with a host of farmyard friends including the farm dog Ben, Colin the Combine Harvester and Daisy the Digger. His adventures centre on everyday farming events - covering many aspects of British agricultural living; from the building of a new barn, to the harvesting of wheat, dealing with the temperamental weather, and helping the Story family find their beloved missing dog.

The work of author, Catherine Cannon, who created the characters and books to satisfy her own son's farming curiosity - particularly his interest in tractors - publishes the books through her own publishing company, Red Wellies Publishing. Catherine explains the need for characters such as Felix, “As with most four-year-olds my son was incredibly inquisitive, barraging me with 'the why, what's and wherefores' each time we'd sit down to read together. I found the books aimed at his age group didn't answer his questions and didn't quench his thirst for learning about life on a working farm. He still wanted the fun aspect of reading a book but more often than not he wanted more from story time and so Felix was born. I think it's incredibly important to teach children about farming – the technology involved, the fact that farms are where much of our food comes from, and the different aspects of life on a farm. If Felix encourages more children to get into this industry, then I couldn't be happier.”