Discover Irish Children’s Books This Christmas

The Discover Irish Children’s Books campaign, a campaign that aims to highlight and celebrate Irish children’s books, was initiated by Irish children’s author, bookseller and long-time champion of Irish children’s literature, Sarah Webb, when she realised that, despite having an abundance of wonderful children’s authors and illustrators living and working in Ireland, the Irish children’s top ten bestseller list rarely features any Irish books. In a bid to shine a light on Ireland’s children’s authors and illustrators, Sarah kick-started this campaign, pulling together a team of children’s book experts to help.

You can now follow them online as they spotlight Irish children’s authors, give guidance on Ireland’s answer to popular international children’s authors, and team up with bookshops around the country to spotlight their top-ten Irish children’s books each week. As Christmas draws closer, and many book lovers will be heading to the bookshops for this year’s presents, we were delighted to team up with the Discover Irish Children’s Books campaign as a selection of their crew (authors based all around the country) talk favourite childhood books received at Christmas, an Irish book they plan to gift this year and tell us about their own book.

Sinéad O’Hart, Co. Meath

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

I loved receiving annuals at Christmastime, and I still have several Mandy and Bunty annuals from the dim and distant 1980s at home! The pictures and the words together were a fantastic introduction to comics, art, and storytelling.

An Irish book I’d give a child this year:

One of the best Irish-authored (and illustrated!) Christmas books I know (and one I absolutely love) is Nicola Colton’s A Dublin Christmas (Gill Books, 2021). When a little girl’s grandma is stranded on Christmas Eve, can she – and some very clever Christmas fairies – find enough magic in the ‘fair city’ to bring Grandma home?

About my own book:

The Silver Road (Piccadilly Press, 2023) is the story of Rose Darke, who must go on a thrilling quest across Ireland – on the back of an elk! – to save everyone she loves from an ancient and long-buried god of destruction and chaos. What would you do if the legends of old Ireland began to awake all around you?

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

Ireland is stuffed full of talent, and we tell stories like nobody else! Every story told in Ireland enriches the country and invigorates the reader or listener, and every voice – whether Irish-born, Irish resident, or Irish living and working abroad – is vital. Our campaign celebrates and showcases the diversity, range, and sheer brilliance of the creativity on offer, so get involved!

Eve McDonnell, Co. Wexford

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

Most of my childhood books were library books, and non-fiction at that. I was struggling to find fiction that hooked me in until I discovered The Adventures of Tin-Tin by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Illustrations! Laughs! Mystery! And adventures that brought me to the far corners of the world. Best of all, it was a series I could collect, though I’m sure I heard Santa yell ‘blistering barnacles’ when I asked him to deliver the elusive few!  

An Irish book I’d give a child this year:

I’m a huge fan of children’s historical fiction and 2023 brought us another five-star read from Irish author Nicola Pierce who masterfully blends fact with fiction. In Between Worlds – The Journey of the Famine Girls (The O’Brien Press, 2023) whisked me back to the 1840s to the horrific trials of the Great Hunger cleverly juxtaposed with the overwhelming hope that comes with the opportunity to start a new life on the far side of the world. Perfect for age 8+.

About my own book:

One of my author dreams recently came true when my second book for age 10+, The Chestnut Roaster (Everything with Words, 2022), was nominated for a Carnegie Medal for Writing. It is the story of 12-year-old Piaf who has the ability to, and burden of, remembering everything back to the day she was born. When she discovers everyone in Paris has forgotten the entire last year, 1888, she embarks on a dangerous journey that brings her to the depths of Paris’s underground twin, the Catacombs, to capture the memory thief. 

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

We can lose touch with the latest releases in children’s literature, so it’s understandable why a cover with a flashy celebrity name or a favourite cartoon might feel the ‘safe’ option. All reading is reading, but if your little one is a fan of a big-name author, Dav Pilkey or David Walliams for example, now is the perfect time to introduce them to the endless treasure trove of Irish books that will deliver the same, and often more, than their current read. The team of experts behind www.discoveririshkidsbooks.ie have created over twenty ‘If You Like, You’ll Love…’ posters identifying Irish alternatives to well-known names. Check them out!

Olivia Hope, Co. Kerry

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

Having really enjoyed the TV and animated versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol my parents gave me his complete Christmas Tales (Micheal O’Meara Books, 1988) with full illustrated plates by H.M. Brock, when I was 12. It was eye-opening to go from the familiar screen story and then immerse in a glorious story filled with all of humanity in Victorian London. The book was SO much better than anything I had seen.

An Irish book I’d give a child this year:

I am totally enthralled by illustrator Ashling Lindsay’s work, but her first author-illustrated picture book was something very special. An Unexpected Thing (Frances Lincoln, 2022) is a story of different perspectives, facing your fears and finding out that the world isn’t such a bad place after all if you’re ready to explore. Wonder-inducing.

About my own book:

Be Wild, Little One (ill. Daniel Egnéus, Bloomsbury, 2022) is a picture book about the natural connection we have with the great outdoors. It is an anthem for courage and self-belief, inspired by the skies and stars, by lakes, mountains and jungles. 

And breaking news, the Irish version – Bí Fiáin, A Chroí is out with Futa Fata in February 2024!

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

There are a wealth of storytellers on our little island, and they are award-winning, genre eclipsing, trailblazing people who write, draw and publish stories for children. The best stories out there are by writers and artists that you don’t know – who might only be a parish away! So, if one thing comes from this campaign, it is that people will look for more books by Irish storytellers for Irish children – books about here and there, and the whole wide world!

Aislinn O’Loughlin, Waterford

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

The Giant Book Of Fantastic Facts! It was one of those huge, cheap, floppy-paged pound-shop books. I got it from my grandparents when I was eight, along with a box of Roses. I demolished the chocolates but the book I re-read and loved for years (I still have it, although the cover is sellotaped on now). Packed with weird and random trivia, from spooky urban legends about green children appearing out of Suffolk caves to the mystery of Kaspar Hauser, to the etymology of the word “nickname”, it sparked a lifelong obsession with all things weird and X-Files-y. To this day, it’s honestly one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. 

An Irish book I’d give a child this year:

I absolutely adore I Am the Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere, edited by Sarah Webb & Lucinda Jacob, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko (Little Island Books, 2023), and will be gifting it to quite a few child-packed households this year. It’s such a special book, filled with classic poems by the likes of Yvonne Boland and Seamús Heaney, as well as a plethora of diverse new Irish voices. Ashwin Chacko’s gorgeously playful illustrations bring every page to life, and make even the more complex poems accessible and appealing to young readers.  

About my own book:

Big Bad Me (Little Island Books, 2022) is Buffy-inspired YA comedy-horror about werewolves, vampires, and loving the monster inside you. Evie Wilder has no idea she’s a werewolf, mostly because monster-hunting big sister, Kate, has dedicated her life to covering up Evie’s messes. When their mom goes missing and Evie is attacked by something terrifying, the sisters go on the run to Brightside (aka “Creepy Murder Central”). But with local teens going missing, something wicked lurking in the shadows and hot weirdo Kevin determined to help Evie embrace her monstrous side, the girls realise there’s a full-on supernatural showdown brewing. Not everyone’s making it out of this adventure alive.

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

Irish Children’s Literature is rich with amazing authors, illustrators, poets and publishers, producing brilliant and beautiful stories for readers of all ages. The #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign aims to highlight and celebrate these stories, and help anyone looking to buy books for the kids in their life to discover the perfect Irish book for them! 

Triona Campbell, Dublin

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

I grew up on a diet of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and tons of books on Irish Celtic myth and fairy tales. The Christmas present however that stands out was none of these – it was the arrival of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox and of course Marvin became my companions from primary to secondary school and beyond. In a nutshell – the book is the adventures of two humans who survive the senseless destruction of Earth and embark on a journey through time and space attempting to discover the meaning of life. But in reality it was so much more than that. It taught me that literature could be slightly bonkers, compelling, funny and somehow full of heart. It changed everything I knew about storytelling. 

An Irish book I’d give a child this year: 

For ages 12+, Something Terrible Happened Last Night by Sam Blake (Gill Books, 2023). An exclusive Wicklow school. A birthday party hosted by the most popular girl that spirals out of control. A dead body, unanswered questions and tons of secrets that are all set to unravel. I am a big fan of gripping teen thrillers and Sam Blake delivers with this debut Irish YA. I would definitely recommend it.

About my own book: 

A Game of Life or Death (Scholastic, 2023⁠) is my debut book for readers 13+. It begins when Asha finds her older sister Maya dead inside their empty locked apartment. Her search for answers leads her to Zu Tech – the too big to fail videogames company Maya worked at, run by the charismatic Zu Thorp. Desperate to get revenge, she infiltrates the company and discovers a deadly secret. It’s a high stakes thriller (with some epic romance) that asks the question – what would you be willing to sacrifice for the truth? 

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

We have a wealth of children’s teen and YA writers (both Irish born and Irish based). They create stories that can travel the world but that are also local and unique to our cultural experience. Celebrating that is part of the fun of the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks and #DiscoverIrishYA campaign. There is, of course, a place for the global brands like Enid Blyton, David Walliams, Dav Pilkey etc. – but there is also a place for other storytellers. And, in an age of book banning and calls for library censorship that feels like something more important than ever to promote.

Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde, Co. Galway

A book I remember receiving as a child for Christmas:

I remember my tenth Christmas. Santa brought a fabulous table tennis bat with a zipped cover, and a hardback copy of The Hobbit. I don’t think that anyone reads as well as a ten-year-old girl. By that afternoon, I was lost in Middle-Earth, heading off cautiously with my new friend, Bilbo Baggins. To this day, it is my comfort read. I loved the setting for The Hobbit too, and Tolkien’s brilliant portrayal of that landscape. Years later, I discovered that Tolkien had worked as an external examiner in the university in Galway and may have been influenced by the landscape in The Burren and Connemara, both of which he visited regularly.

An Irish book I’d give a child this year: 

This year, I will be gifting Wild Wonders (Natural World Publishing, 2023), a wonderful anthology of nature stories. This book was dreamt up by Aga Grandowicz and created by a group of children’s writers and illustrators. It is a real love letter to Mother Nature and the great outdoors. I have a story in it and was really proud to be part of it.

About my own book: 

I have had an exciting year in books. I had two new books come out The Girl Who Fell to Earth (Little Island Books, 2023), a science fiction story about friendship and acceptance, and a book in Irish called An Mac Tíre Deireanach (Futa Fata, 2023), set in Cromwellian Ireland, where a little girl tries to save the last wolf.

A few words about the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign: 

As Laureate na nÓg, I am very excited to introduce children to Irish authors and illustrators. The Discover Irish Children’s Books campaign has worked really hard this year to get the message out that we now have a canon of Irish children’s literature, in two languages, that we can all be proud of. 

I hope that people will get behind the campaign and buy Irish this Christmas.  

Nollaig shona daoibh go léir!

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Thank you to all our contributors, and to Eve in particular for her assistance in pulling this post together.

Find out more about the Discover Irish Children’s Books campaign over on their website and, as Christmas fast approaches, we encourage you to support Ireland’s authors, illustrators, publishers and bookshops through your shopping this year, and wish you and your families an abundance of happy reading this festive season.

(We’ve linked in with just a fraction of the great bookshops around the country here to shine a light but we know there are great bookshops to be found all around Ireland, so please do support local where possible).