Exhibition At The Ark!

Explore the curious and creative world of books at the fantastic Picture Book Exhibition, it's 

on at The Ark for the month of April called Telling Tale and Tiny Tales.  

There's some fantastic Picture Book illustrations there including Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, Oliver Jeffers and myself. 

You can see behind the scenes of what goes into making a picture book including rough doodles, original concept artwork and a teeny tiny dummy book from The Ravenous Beast. It is open every weekend! For booking contact The Ark on 6707788.

 Original art from The Ravenous Beast

  Original art from The Ravenous Beast

original concept and doodles 

Mini dummy and roughs...

Eve Mc Quillan enjoys the show...

THE GIRL WHO FORGOT TO SING BADLY

Myself, Megan and my Mum had a three generation girly day on Monday and went to Dublin. We had such an amazing day book shop wandering and noodling about town. Our total highlight was going to see Louis Lovett in THE GIRL WHO FORGOT TO SING BADLY at The Peacock.

Go see Louis Lovett’s Top Ten Reasons You Should See The Girl Who Forgot To Sing Badly. My favourite is Reason 9.

"If you and your granny or your friend or your dad or your younger sister or any of your family and any of your friends want to laugh your socks off at the same thing at the same time and at the same place and at the same funny man who’s sweating his socks off not three feet in front of you. Phew."

Lovett's physical theatre, the set, the stage, the lighting, the sweaty man are so imaginative, interactive and utterly, utterly fabulous. Go see it now!!!!

Megans says, "Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!" ("Mum can we go see it again?").

Story Spark at The Ark!

I had an amazing session yesterday at CBI’s Story Spark at The Ark in Dublin. I have to admit that as my last event of 2010 it was the session that I really fretted over. I think I was so nervous before because it is such an iconic venue and I knew there was going to be a packed house. I couldn’t do my usual doodle along session with the kids so I had to come up with more theatre friendly ideas.

So I decided that I should bring on as many props that I could pack into my suitcase…

I also brought along dummy books, roughs, early sketches and original illustrations.

The Ravenous Beast puppet went down a storm!!!!

I cracked the drawing by getting the kids to join me on stage for a doodle-along, and by playing the doodle shape game with Tom from CBI at the end!

Once I was onstage my nerves and worries disappeared, the audience were AWESOME! As you can probably tell from the photos I had great fun and the hour totally zoomed by…

Thanks to CBI for coming up with such an amazing month celebrating stories and huge kudos to The Ark too. They really storm a path for children’s creativity in this land! The Ravenous Beast thinks so too!

There is a lovely review of my session here from Natasha, who came along yesterday with her twins. Passed on by Tom at CBI. Thanks Tom!

Story Spark this weekend!

Don't forget I will be at The Ark this Sunday for the last weekend of CBI's Story Spark.

I promise plenty of 'Nonsense Smonsense', Hugglewug roaring and fun with Mavis and Marge too! I am on at 2pm, there's a few tickets left so get booking here.

Pop over and read Hazel Gaynor's interview with me on her fab blog, Hot Cross Mum.

Frabulous Sarah Webb,will be appearing along with Brianóg Brady Dawson and Gillian Perdue on Sunday too at the 4 o'clock session.

Bob from The Gutter Bookshop will be there in case you would like some signed books for Christmas pressies! The Gutter Bookshop has to have the best Christmas window display in the city...wise words!

Click on RTE Junior Today

This is me in studio for RTÉ Young Peoples it's up on the RTE Junior site.

It's only up for today so you have to be quick!

Story Spark Ignites!

Last night was the launch of StorySpark at The Ark. It was such a warm family celebration and really fitting way to blast off the celebrations. Hurray!

Myself and Owen brought our three, and they were well impressed. The first floor has been kitted-out as a fully functioning Story Lab; an interactive workspace complete with mp3 listening stations and a digital recording booth.

You can listen to stories already created by children and then add your own story to the collection. Mags from Children's Books Ireland said that 'all the stories created in the lab during the next month will find a permanent home in Dublin City’s archive.'

Pretty amazing! Imagine your great grandchildren listening to these stories in the future. I overheard a young girl of ten setting her tale in Wagner Manor!

Aoibhe and Oscar loved listening to the recordings. And they were all totally impressed with the mountain of cocktail sausages and innocent smoothies. 'Just for us!'

It's going to be a really wonderful month filled full of stories. Bob from The Gutter Bookstore will be on hand if you want to get lots of signed books for Christmas pressies! Joseph O'Connor gave a lovely opening talk, I promise to upload soon. He really included all the children, especially the Bray Junior Book Club.

The stage is set. All we need now is you. Oh, yeah and a few story makers!

StorySpark at The Ark!

I was filming excerpts for RTE today. It's part of highlighting StorySpark, a celebration of children’s literature that promises to light up even the darkest of winter days.

Children's Books Ireland are taking over The Ark for the month of December. So if you love reading stories and Illustration book here so your not left in the dark!

The Reading Room line up is mind-blowing; Roddy Doyle, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Philip Ardagh, Oisín McGann, Marcus Sedgwick, John Boyne, Derek Landy, Sarah Webb.

And two Trapped By Monsters cave dwellers Ali Sparkes and me!

Do you like Marge the chicken made by my lovely friend Sarah O'Kelly?

Watch out for me around Skerries with Marge in my bike basket. My daughter Megan who's only 9 took the photo of Marge and Me in my studio.