An Irishwoman’s Diary

• Published date: 16 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

A few dozen of the fair’s nearly 32,000 trade visitors stand in a forest of books, perusing texts suspended at varying heights from the ceiling. In a clearing amid the maze of illustrators’ walls and exhibitions, Mac Barnett, a children’s author from California, talks to a rapt audience. “Children’s books must be recognised as literature, on a par with books for adults,” he says

Every imaginable species of animal appears in the 3,355 books submitted for the Bologna Ragazzi Awards. But concerns of the grown-up world are also present. Contemporary themes – from climate change and the environment to the rights of the disabled, migrants, women and transgender people – have found their way into children’s and young adult literature.

On a wall reserved for Ukrainian illustrators, one picture shows uniformed soldiers embracing in grief. In another, a soldier mends a Ukrainian flag. The words “No missile can attack our imagination” are emblazoned on a teacher’s red apple.

The €431,000 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award – “the Nobel for children’s literature”, given in memory of the creator of Pippi Longstocking – was this year awarded to a foundation that promotes the literary aspirations of the aboriginal community in Australia.

Margaret Ann Suggs represents the 80 members of Illustrators Ireland. In her latest book, The Dandelion’s Tale, Suggs’s lovely watercolours illustrate dandelions who are driven out as weeds. They turn into white fluff and travel over walls, fields and train tracks, looking for a welcoming place to land. When they find it, they say, “We will be happy here”.

In Wonder-Vet, Irish author and illustrator Jennifer Farley tells the story of Aleen Cust, the first female veterinarian in Ireland and Britain.

Farley also illustrated Shooting for the Stars, My Journey to Become Ireland’s First Astronaut, by Dr Norah Patten, and provided illustrations for Girls Play Too, about inspirational Irish sportswomen.

Kerry-based author Olivia Hope’s first book, Be Wild, Little One, is about embracing nature. It was short-listed for the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Award and has been translated into French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Irish.

Hope’s second book sprang from memories of taking the train from Killarney to Dublin with her mother and is entitled Little Lion Girl. “The City roared like a jungle and Leonie roared at the city,” goes one memorable line.

Irish authors and illustrators, including Suggs and Hope, are often...