Aoife Dooley returns to Little Island with ABC IRELAND!
Little Island is thrilled to announce a follow-up to the award-winning 123 Ireland! by illustrator, comedian and neurodivergent author Aoife Dooley.
World rights in ABC Ireland!, an ABC board book for young children, was acquired from agent Faith O’Grady of the Lisa Richards agency by publisher Matthew Parkinson-Bennett.
Following on from the success of her first board book, 123 Ireland!, which won Junior Children’s Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards
2019, ABC Ireland! sees Dooley take another humorous look at symbols of Ireland in colourful, child-friendly illustrations for young children learning the alphabet. Ahead of publication on 7 April 2022, there will be early releases of the book ahead of a programme of events for the St Patrick’s Festival.
Little Island publisher Matthew Parkinson-Bennett said: “123 Ireland! was Little Island’s first board book for the youngest readers. Aoife
is a really loved artist in Ireland and thanks to her brilliantly humorous illustrations the book was a real success. We couldn’t be happier to be working
with Aoife again on another terrific, fun book for small readers that celebrates Ireland.”
Aoife Dooley said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be working with Little Island books on ABC Ireland! Seeing pictures of children learning to count using 123 Ireland! has filled my heart with so much joy. I cannot wait for everyone to see the new book as I’ve been keeping this a secret for quite some time (and I’m not the best at keeping secrets!)”
Photo by Ruth Medjber
Aoife Dooley is a 5ft freelance illustrator, comedian, neurodivergent author, and graphic designer from Dublin. Her graphic novel about a child with autism, Frankie’s World, is due from Scholastic in 2022. Her first book, How to be Massive was published in 2016 and followed by How to Deal with Poxesin 2017, and 123 Ireland, which won Children’s Book of the Year (Junior) at the 2019 An Post Irish Book Awards. Her ‘Your One Nikita’ illustrations were adapted as an animated series by RTE in 2019. She is also an award-winning comedian on the Irish scene.
