Irish writers in Cologne!

Just back from an really amazing week in Cologne celebrating Irish Children's Literature.  Every year the city focuses on a different country and invites their most well known Children's writers and Illustrators along to celebrate books, visit schools and have an exhibition of their artwork.  I was lucky enough to be invited along with 10 other authors and illustrators, that included PJ Lynch, John Boyne and Malachy Doyle. It was the most wonderful experience I have EVER had as an author and illustrator in my career.  We were treated like royalty! 

I travelled with Siobhan Parkinson and our host Uschi made us feel so welcome. It was thanks to her enthusiasm (infectious!) and her wonderful team of helpers and translators that made the week so memorable. My highlights included dancing to the Irish/German traditional band at my exhibition opening, trying to understand German all week, meeting Daniel Mulhall the Irish Ambassador who travelled down from Berlin especially to meet us, being mesmirized by Branar's Children of Lir, and drawing Hugglewugs with the school children of Cologne!  A link to the website especially made for our visit is here. 

 Me and my translator Maike! 

Me in action..

Signing doodles!

Another highlight was a chance meeting with Dayve Stewart Sax player who kindly serenaded Two Irish Laureates on the Cologne Street! 

The Morning Show on TV3

Here's the link of me, The Hugglemonsters, Director Norton Virgien and Lead Writer Sascha Paladino on TV3's The Morning Show with Martin and Sybil. You can scroll to 16:20 to get straight to it. And a great photo from Darragh of the Brown Bag gang tuning in to watch the show at work this morning! 

Illustration Workshops @ Riverbank Arts Centre

I'll be at the Riverbank Arts Centre, in Newbridge Co. Kildare this Saturday 25th doing two workshops. Read and Draw the Hugglewug Way suitable for age 3-7 years. I promise stories, doodling and lots of ROARING!

I will also be running a Illustration Workshop suitable for age 8-12 years. You will get a chance to see inside my notebooks and dummy books and find out where I get my ideas from and lots of secrets of the trade! It will very much a hands-on illustration workshop, where we will be drawing lots and you'll get tips on how to design funny characters and funky worlds! Hope to see you there.

Library Mice

Huzzah! I'm a Happy Hugglewug is featured on Library Mice today! Make yourself a cuppa tea and grab a few Jammie Dodgers as you'll want to stay a while once you get there!

Then make another cuppa tea and go read this article 50+ Picture Books Every Child Should Read. There's lots of my favourites featured on Playing By The Book. Happy Reading!

Alice learns how to draw a Hugglewug!

As some of you may know, I often run workshops with children on How to draw a Hugglewug with easy step by step instructions. Last Friday I met Deirdre my book publisher and Alice head of PR for Walker Books and over lunch in The Winding Stairs, I showed Alice how to draw a Hugglewug. She had real fears that she wouldn't be able to draw one, but as you can see her Lola Hugglewug is marvelous!

Hugglewug Board Book

Hugglewugs is now out in baby board book format you can get it here. So your little ones can read it, and be read to. They can throw it, sit on it, squash it, try to rip it and even chew on it!
Happy reading!

Books 2008. New Literary Festival

I will be taking part in Sunday Independent's Books on September the 6th in Dublin. It's a new festival based in Dublin. Book and check it out here.

Again!

Great quote from Sebastian Walker: “All that counts,” he said, “is that a child says at the end of the book, ‘Again!’”
I couldn't agree more I know from my own kids that if the book is a good one, it will be asked for again, and again! What is the magic ingredient? That is the question. I am starting on a new picture book with Walker, it's just at the doodle stage. I am drawing it up into a dummy form. I start with a spark of an idea, then let it settle and play around with language, character, form and doodle all the time. My desk is a mess. The above doodle is a early Hugglewug sketch from one of my notebooks.

The Buzz

Check out my interview on The Buzz yesterday. Thanks to Shonagh and Declan who gave me a fab welcome!

Early Hugglewug

Just looking back through old Hugglewugs sketches. This was one of my first doodles of what a Hugglewug could look like. Characters often go through lots of different stages. This is a watercolour sketch. I really like using this medium because its fast!!! And you get an instant idea of the character. I would usually make lots of these versions before I find the real character. 

Amazon

Hugglewug news!

December 2007: Exciting news!
I’m a Happy Hugglewug has jointly won the top prize
for the picture book category of the Highland Children’s Books Award. Hurray!
Thanks to all the children in Scotland who voted for Hugglewugs.
The Highland Council
Amazon