We were thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Peter Donnelly, one of Ireland's foremost illustrators and picturebook makers, to discuss life, work, inspiration, and everything in between! Listen in for a chance to hear about how Peter was inspired by a mountain, and how NOT getting into art college was the best thing that ever happened to him. If you've ever wondered: how did Peter Donnelly come up with the brilliant idea to write a picturebook about the President of Ireland, then you've found your happy place. Come and join us as we winkle out Peter Donnelly's Storyshaped secrets!
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Peter's own:
The President's Glasses
The President's Cat
The President's Dog
The President's Surprise
The Dead Zoo
The Great Discovery
Up on the Mountain
Little Wolf
And the stories that shaped him include:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by PJ Lynch
The work of PJ Lynch
Monty Python, British TV comedy
The Prince of Egypt, animated movie on which Peter worked
Anastasia, animated movie on which Peter worked
Tilly and Friends, by Polly Dunbar
This is Ireland, by Miroslav Sacek
The work of Mac Barnett
The work of Jon Klassen
The Fairy Isle, by Síne Quinn, illustrated by Dermot Flynn
Beanie the Bansheenie, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
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