Tag Eoin Colfer

Beanie the Bansheenie

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Beanie the Bansheenie
Eoin Colfer and Steve McCarthy
Walker Books

Classic Irish folklore receives a modern twist in this wondrous tale.
‘Everybody in Ireland knows that banshees are supernatural harbingers of doom.’ Called ‘bansheenies’ when young, these little beings develop in pods that grow on the underside of a fairy bridge and when each pod becomes transparent the bansheenie will bond with the first human they see. One day though, now knowing everything about their person including when they will die, the bansheenie’s job is to appear in front of their person and ‘howl the banshee’s howl at them.’ This allows the specific person to put things right with anyone they need to and to bid loved ones farewell.

The Beanie from this story sadly has a problem; she’s knocked from her pod into the water during that vital bonding phase and thus cannot bond with Rose, her human, and absorb the information needed. Beanie does however make friends with the fish but then realises that she needs to find out more information about Rose. Months pass during which Beanie gradually forms a deep connection with the girl

but also discovers from the fish that an imminent wild storm will destroy Rose and her family’s cottage.

Can she warn her of her family’s fate and help them escape a tragic death? If so, what will be the outcome?

Steve McCarthy’s illustrations predominantly executed using a Celtic green palette, are magical in the manner in which they complement Eoin Colfer’s text and move the narrative forwards to its glorious ending.

An enthralling read for anyone from around seven or eight, adults included.

Three Tasks for a Dragon

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Three Tasks for a Dragon
Eoin Colfer and P.J. Lynch
Walker Books

Prince Lir is heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lagin. However as his stepmother tells him in no uncertain terms, he can’t ride a horse, lift a sword, or summon the wolfhounds. Consequently she deems him unworthy to become king; instead her biological son, Prince Delbayne, will inherit the crown. Moreover she banishes her stepson from the kingdom but at Prince Delbayne’s suggestion, he is given a seemingly impossible quest that will likely end in his death: to rescue a maiden Cethlenn, who had once worked in the palace kitchens, from the once fearsome dragon Lasvarg.

Having arrived at the dragon’s island cave, he discovers that the dragon is well past his prime, unable now to fly or breathe fire, and drunk on cherry wine made from cherries stomped upon by Cethlenn, who has become his servant. The prince insists that the dragon, honour tradition by setting him three tasks to perform. First, cure the dragon’s mould-induced ailments, second, fix his broken wing, and lastly restore his fire-breathing power. Little by little while doing these tasks, Prince Lir grows closer to Cethlenn and she to him.

However he turns down her request to stay with her on the island at that time. Instead he sets forth to return and confront his stepbrother in the hope of preventing him receiving the wolfhound crown. Could it be that Cethlenn is the wolfhound queen? How will it all end?

Lyrically written with a fair few thrills and awesome illustrations of the dragon, this is a magical fairy tale that will assuredly keep readers turning the pages, albeit slowly so they can savour P.J. Lynch’s magnificent artistry.

Cloud Babies

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Cloud Babies
Eoin Colfer and Chris Judge
Walker Books

This story is inspired by events in the family life of Chris Judge, the book’s illustrator.
Young Erin’s favourite game is spotting animals in the clouds with her mum and dad and friends. She sees all kinds from cats to crocodiles and snowball polar bears to puff-less dragons. She calls them her cloud babies.

One day, Erin is very ill and has to spend a considerable length of time in the children’s hospital. She’s made to feel very welcome, is looked after with loving care by doctors and nurses and makes lots of friends. Even in hospital Erin takes delight in playing cloud babies with her new friends and either personally or remotely, with her dad. 

Eventually Erin is thrilled to be discharged from hospital but learns from the doctor that she will still need to have further “Hospital days”

Rather apprehensively she returns to school but things have changed considerably and Erin, now six, is sad to find that people there don’t share her imaginative interpretations of clouds. Indeed that comforting world she’d built and become used to in hospital feels distant and unfamiliar; moreover she decides that cloud babies aren’t for her any longer. It’s SO difficult to feel a part of either her hospital friends’ or her school friends’ group.

However her loving, empathetic parents don’t give up on those cloud babies and with their guidance and support from her class teacher and classmates, Erin comes to understand that through sharing her world and her cloud babies, she will find joy in being her true self again.

This story is written with great warmth and sensitivity by Eoin Colfer who has also included a special letter to readers at the front of the book. Chris Judge’s art is a skilful fusion of photographic images and vibrant illustration that blend children’s unlimited imaginative powers with the day to day world of a children’s hospital. No mean feat and the end result is an upllifting book that offers great help and comfort both to children faced with illness and to the adults who share their lives.

I would love to see Cloud Babies in all children’s hospital wards and doctors’ surgeries.