Mags Walsh

Mags is the director of Children’s Books Ireland

Roalding in the aisles
The shortlist for the Roald Dahl funny prize is out. This lovely award, was established by Michael Rosen during his time as Laureate…
Posted 20/09/2012 in Blog - Entry

Winnie Under the Sea by Valerie Thomas
 

Winnie and Wilbur have had many adventures together over the years and this new underwater story is full of their usual humour and…
Posted 4/05/2012 in Reviews

We need to hear from you
It's hard to believe but it is almost twelve months since we launched our new look print version of Inis Magazine along with this…
Posted 22/03/2012 in Blog - Entry

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
When American teenager Rory moves to a London boarding school, she plans to have a slightly more normal life. Unfortunately, she arrives on…
Posted 22/03/2012 in Reviews

Up Above Down Below by Francis Morgan
Up Above Down Belowopens in an underground cavern beneath the Mourne Mountains, in which lies a city built and occupied by dragons. The story…
Posted 20/03/2012 in Reviews

It’s Awards Time - Nine books on CBI Awards Shortlist
They might have a new name, but you know it's definitely March when the CBI awards shortlist rolls out. This year there are nine…
Posted 20/03/2012 in Blog - Entry

Don’t Put Your Pants on Your Head, Fred by Caryl Hart
 

Fred is having problems getting dressed in the morning. His sister Kate offers some sound advice but Fred just can’t seem to get everything…
Posted 24/11/2011 in Reviews

Mrs Muffly’s Monster by Sarah Dyer
 

There is something of a mystery surrounding Mrs Muffly. She’s busy gathering all sorts of things and our anonymous narrator is convinced…
Posted 20/10/2011 in Reviews

Stripy Horse: Time for Bed by Jim Helmore
 

Stripy Horse: Time for Bed
Stripy Horse: Just for You!
Stripy Horse: Touch and Feel Animal Friends

Three new board books have been added…
Posted 1/09/2011 in Reviews

Siobhan Parkinson at Merriman Summer School
Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson had a busy week last week attending both the Parnell and the Merriman Summer Schools. 

On August…
Posted 23/08/2011 in Blog - Entry

Back to School (Libraries)
It's almost Back to School (!) time and the issue of school libraries is back in the news.

Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson spoke…
Posted 15/08/2011 in Blog - Entry

The National Library - looking for input
Ok so I've already disclosed that I'm a big fan of the facilities in the National Library. 

Now it is your chance to help them…
Posted 12/08/2011 in Blog - Entry

Podcasts - What about children’s books?
Lately I've been a bit of  a podcast addict. As a result of an aversion to Irish radio, a new iphone and a reliable wireless broad…
Posted 8/08/2011 in Blog - Entry

I Heart The National Library
The National Library on Kildare Street - important cultural institution with very important function for the state and willing and…
Posted 18/07/2011 in Blog - Entry

In the bookshop - Guest Post by Jennifer Connaughton
More often then not when I stroll into the children’s section sleepy eyed on a Sunday morning I find myself suddenly in the middle…
Posted 24/06/2011 in Blog - Entry

Tis the summer to be reading
The huge range and spread of literature events thats available for adults and kids this summer is really heartening to see.
Kim…
Posted 17/06/2011 in Blog - Entry

Who will it be?
With all the debate about the new sponsorship branding for the Children’s Laureate in the UK, there hasn’t been as much room for the…
Posted 3/06/2011 in Blog - Entry

Friday Fuzzy Feeling
I was lucky enough to spend last weekend in a house with two little boys who love books. Ben is 18 months and enjoys reading…
Posted 6/05/2011 in Blog - Image / Photo

Illustrators, The Multiplier Effect
A terrific post today over on Playing by the Book has asked the recent winners of Book Trust's best new illustrators award to select…
Posted 28/04/2011 in Blog - Entry

The Lonely Beast
New Irish picture book maker Chris Judge has created this lovely video piece featuring the character from his debut The…
Posted 28/04/2011 in Blog - Video

When CBI went to Bologna…
The International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna is an incredible place to visit. Jammed with all sorts of brilliant books…
Posted 14/04/2011 in Blog - Image / Photo

Philip Pullman writing in the Guardian in 2004
Children need to go to the theatre as much as they need to run about in the fresh air. They need to hear real music played by real…
Posted 14/04/2011 in Blog - Quote

A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton
This first book from Irish illustrator Chris Haughton has already gathered much attention, most notably a gold medal at the Association of…
Posted 1/12/2010 in Reviews

Poems from the Writing Shed by Alan Durant
Durant is a particularly prolific writer and his books range from picturebooks to teenage fiction. With this new collection of poetry, Durant…
Posted 1/12/2010 in Reviews

Hold on Tight, Stripy Horse by Jim Helmore
Set in Weevils Bric-A-Brac shop, this is another story of Stripy Horse and his friends who we previously met in Who Are You Stripy Horse? and…
Posted 1/09/2010 in Reviews

Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen has proved himself a master at picturebook texts so a new title from the former Children’s Laureate is always something to look…
Posted 1/06/2010 in Reviews

Birdsong by Ellis Sandall
This is a rich debut from authorial illustrator Ellie Sandall. Birdsong is a picturebook full of the calls, tweets and chirps of all manner of…
Posted 1/06/2010 in Reviews

The Cryptid Files: Loch Ness by Jean Filtcroft
The first title from new Irish imprint Little Island tells the story of Vanessa Day, a talented teenager from Dublin. Vanessa, still grieving…
Posted 1/04/2010 in Reviews

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pop-Up book by Eric Carle
There is no denying the classic status of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A copy is sold every thirty seconds and this year, celebrations abound…
Posted 1/09/2009 in Reviews

Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley
Brother and sister Ethan and Cathy fall ill and their father heads out to find help. The siblings wrap up against the storm outside and wait…
Posted 1/12/2008 in Reviews

The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
Wynne Jones is a prolific fantasy writer who has a very strong international reputation and clearly a major interest in myths, legends and…
Posted 1/09/2008 in Reviews

This Is the Reef by Miriam Moss
The reef in the title is the Great Barrier Reef. Moss’s text describes the action and the inhabitants, while Kennaway accurately depicts the…
Posted 1/06/2008 in Reviews

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
This is Dowd’s third book and she returns to an Irish setting. Set in a border town in the 1980s, it unravels the story of Fergus and his…
Posted 1/06/2008 in Reviews

Thanks for Telling Me, Emily by Deirdre Madden
Madden’s second book for young readers is another story of unusual characters in a small town. Emily is the owner of a local pet shop, and is…
Posted 1/04/2008 in Reviews

Wilderness by Roddy Doyle
Doyle’s new title is very different from some of his previous comic capers. It features an Irish family who are all facing new and old…
Posted 1/12/2007 in Reviews

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lingren
Pippi Longstocking is one of the truly unique characters of children’s books. As a young reader, I loved her brash independence and her quirky…
Posted 1/12/2007 in Reviews

Waves by Sharon Dogar
Dogar’s very assured debut opens as the Ditton family return to their Cornish holiday home for the summer. It has been a year since Hal’s…
Posted 1/06/2007 in Reviews

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The jacket of this novel mentions fences, a 9-year-old boy called Bruno and a journey. Other than this brief information the publishers have…
Posted 1/04/2006 in Reviews

Pa Jinglebob and the Grabble Gang by Mary Arrigan
A knitting sheriff (Pa Jinglebob) is the main character in this Wild West caper. Helped by his ever- sensible daughter Jemima they struggle to…
Posted 1/12/2005 in Reviews

Artemis Fowl - The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
This is the fourth book about Artemis Fowl, the boy genius and his escapades in the fairy world. Like the other three titles, the…
Posted 1/11/2005 in Reviews