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Paddy Donnelly

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Paddy Donnelly is a bestselling, award winning author and illustrator from Ireland who now lives in Belgium. He has published over 25 picture books, including The Vanishing Lake, Ava and the Acorn, Wolves In Helicopters and Here Be Dragons. His picture book, The Golden Hare, was awarded the Children’s Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024, while his other book Fox & Son Tailers won the Literacy Association of Ireland Biennial Children’s Book Award 2023, and was chosen as one of the official books for World Book Day 2025. He has twice been nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

Paddy grew up on the beautiful north coast of Ireland, surrounded by mythical stories of giants, magical creatures and shape-shifting animals. His storytelling reflects his love of nature and animals.

Paddy Donnelly is represented by Susan Penny — to work with Paddy please email Susan

The Times

The best Irish children’s books to put under the tree

The Times

The best Irish children’s books to put under the tree

Books Ireland Magazine

"A truly brilliant piece that cements Donnelly’s place as one of the picturebook-making greats."

RTÉ Guide

"One of the most beautiful looking books we’ve seen in a long time"

Elaina Ryan, CEO Children's Books Ireland

"A brilliant example of what a picture book should be doing."

KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards Judges comments

'A warm, humorous and highly engaging celebration of love...'

The Irish Times

'Paddy Donnelly brings life to Skunk's world with a rich and glossy palette'

BookTrust Review

'Full-page illustrations have a dynamic, painterly quality'

Shortlisted image

The Week Junior Book Awards 2025: Cover of the Year

Shortlisted

Shortlist - Indie Book Awards 2025 image

The Bookseller / Books are My Bag

Shortlist - Indie Book Awards 2025

Longlist - Childrens Books Ireland Awards image

KPMG

Longlist - Childrens Books Ireland Awards

Irish Book Awards 2024 image

Winner

Irish Book Awards 2024

Gradam Réics Carló 2024

Winner

Longlisted image

The Yoto Carnegies

Longlisted

BookTrust image

Great Books Guide 2023

BookTrust

Biennial Book Awards image

Literacy Association of Ireland

Biennial Book Awards

Longlisted image

UKLA Book Awards 2024

Longlisted

Sardes Leespluim prize

Winner

Book Trust image

Books we love in June 2023

Book Trust

2023 Bishop Stortford Picture Book Award

Winner

Shortlisted image

An Post Irish Book Awards

Shortlisted

Ghradam Réics Carló 2022 image

Winner

Ghradam Réics Carló 2022

Shortlisted image

World Illustration Awards 2022

Shortlisted

Nominated image

CILIP/Kate Greenaway Medal 2022

Nominated

The White Ravens Book Award - Winner image

The White Ravens Book Award - Winner

The Book Trust’s Great Books Guide 2021 image

The Book Trust’s Great Books Guide 2021

Sainsbury's Children's Books Awards - Winner image

Sainsbury's Children's Books Awards - Winner

Literary Association of Ireland Biennial Children's Book Awards

Winner

Summer Reading 2021 List image

Love Reading 4 Kids

Summer Reading 2021 List

Gold Medal Award image

Independent Publisher Book Awards

Gold Medal Award

The Best Children's Books 2020 image

The Annual China Children's Booklist

The Best Children's Books 2020

Shortlisted image

KPMG Award

Shortlisted

Shortlisted image

Gradam Réics Carló Children's Irish Language Book of the Year

Shortlisted

Waterstones' Book of the Month - June 2020 image

Waterstones

Waterstones' Book of the Month - June 2020

Shortlisted image

KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2019

Shortlisted

Nominated image

World Illustration Awards 2018

Nominated

Featured Posts

Badger Books by Paddy Donnelly

Mummy's Promise Illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

06 February 2025

Ava and the Acorn - Out Now

12 September 2024

Marvellous Makers: The Summer Reading Challenge 2024

The Golden Hare by Paddy Donnelly

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