KPMG Children's Books Ireland Books of the Year 2023

Every year I try to predict the Irish children’s books on the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Books of the Year shortlist. The 2023 Awards are given to books published in 2022 by Irish writers or illustrators, or those living and working in Ireland.

It was an outstanding year for picturebooks in particular.

Here are my predictions:

1/ Frankie’s World by Aoife Dooley - overall award and Children’s Choice

Well a girl can dream! It would be amazing to see this outstanding graphic novel win the overall award.

2/ Be Wild Little One by Olivia Hope and Daniel Egnéus (Eilis Dillon Award for first book)

3/ The Wilderness by Steve McCarthy - a strong contender for the illustration award

4/ Girls Who Slay Monsters by Ellen Ryan and Shona Shirley Macdonald - another contender for the illustration award

5/ Fox and Sons Tailers by Paddy Donnelly (Wolves in Helicopters is pretty special too!)

6/ Our Dog Hen by David Mackintosh - one of my favourite pictuebook makers

7/ Our Green City by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Colleen Larmour - one of my favourite picturebooks of the year

8/ The Chestnut Roaster by Eve McDonnell - outstanding historical fantasy

9/ Run for Your Life by Jane Mitchell

10/ Truth be Told by Sue Divin

Other possibles:

Well Done, Mummy Penguin by Chris Haughton (Walker Books)

Chirp! by Mary Murphy

Our Big Day by Bob Johnson and Michael Emberley

Amuigh Faoin Spéir by Sadhbh Devlin and Brian Fitzgerald

Cloud Babies by Eoin Colfer and Chris Judge

Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by PJ Lynch

Spellstoppers by Cat Gray - fantasy adventure at its best!

The Book of Secrets by Alex Dunne

The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle

The Shark and the Scar by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

The Secrets Act by Alison Weatherby

Things I Know by Helena Close

these are the words: Fearless verse to find your voice by Nikita Gill

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch

Best of luck to all those who published books in 2022!

KPMG CHILDREN'S BOOKS IRELAND BOOK AWARDS 2022

KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2022 (books published in 2021)

 2021 was a whopper of a year for Irish books, with over 140 titles published, a record high. Here are my (rather hasty as I’ve just realised the shortlist is announced tomorrow 9th March) predictions for this year’s shortlist.

 Picturebooks:

Maybe by Chris Haughton

Weirdo by Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, Illustrated by Magenta Fox

There’s a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers

Frindleswyle by Natalia O’Hara and Lauren O’Hara

 Younger Readers (A really strong age group this year!)

Rabbit and Bear: A Bad King is a Sad Thing by Julian Gough, illustrated by Jim Field (One of the best books I’ve ever read for this younger age group – this age group often gets overlooked for awards – esp if books are in a series – I think it deserves to win the overall prize.)

Cluasa Capaill Ar An Rí by Bridget Breathnach, illustrated by Shirely MacDonald

Wild Child by Dara McAnulty, illustrated by Barry Falls

Rescuing Titanic by Flora Delargy (My prediction for Eilis Dillon Award for First Book – amazing book!)

Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers by Manchán Magan, illustrated by Steve Doogan (the illustrations are outstanding – I’d love to see this on the shortlist)

Leaflings by Niamh Sharkey and Owen Churcher

 Age 9+

The Summer I Robbed a Bank by David O’Doherty, illustrated by Chris Judge (I would love this to feature – brilliant book)

Wolfstongue by Sam Thompson

 YA

Hani and Ishu’s Gide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin

 The shortlist may also feature:

Picturebooks

Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore, Illustrated by PJ Lynch

One of the many Paddy Donnelly titles (Here Be Dragons is my favourite)

Big Dance by Aoife Greeham

Younger Readers

Bad Panda by Swapna Haddow, Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey

Age 9+

Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World by Erika McCann, illustrated by Philip Cullen

The Kidds of Summerhill by Ann Murtagh

Mr Spicebag by Freddie Alexander, illustrated by Helen O’Higgins

Teens

All the Money in the World by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

YA

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue

The KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2021 (books from 2020)

The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards shortlist will be announced next week - Tues 9th March. For more on the awards see here.

Here are the titles I think will be shortlisted. I do this some years, just for fun! Let’s see how many I get right.

My tip for book of the year - The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádaig Kenny or On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick - both remarkable books.

My predictions for the shortlist:

1/ Would You Like a Banana? by Yasmeen Ismail - for it’s vibrant artwork and clever story for young readers.

2/ Only a Tree Knows How to Be a Tree by Mary Murphy - Murphy’s book is deceptively simple and her illustrations are joyful and and full of wonder.

3/ What We’ll Build by Oliver Jeffers - Jeffers is a world class picturebook writer/illustrator and this one is another winner.

4/ Elsetime by Eve McDonnell (Eilis Dillon Award?)

5/ The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison - this is my book of the year - it MUST be shortlisted or there is no justice!

6/ The Gone Book by Helena Close - really strong YA novel.

7/ Why the Moon Travels by Oein DeBharduin, illustrated by Leanne McDonagh - beautifully written Traveller tales - one of my favourite books of the year.

8/ On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick - one of the best YA novels of 2020 - another MUST!

9/ Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Karen Vaughan - simply stunning.

10/ Míp by Máire Zept and Paddy Donnelly - a terrific picturebook with strong text and wonderful illustrations.

Others that might be shortlisted:

Chasing Ghosts by Nicola Pierce - a really story historical novel with some great writing.

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran (Eilis Dillon Award)

Songs for Our Sons by Ruth Doyle and Alison Lindsay

Geansaí Ottó by Sadhbh Devlin and Róisín Hahessy

To the Island by Patricia Forde and Nicola Bernadelli

The Great Irish Farm Book by Darrah McCoullough, illustrated by Saly Caulwell

The Boldness of Betty by Anna Carey

While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar

Have You Seen the Dublin Vampire? by Úna Woods (Eilis Dillon Award?)

The Dead Zoo by Peter Donnelly

The Haunted Lake by P J Lynch

Irish Fairy Tales by Kieran Fanning

Break the Mould by Sinéad Burke, illustrated by Natalie Byrne