My name is Juanita Browne. ‘My First Book of Irish Animals’ is a picture-book for young children to introduce them to the wonderful wild animals we have in this country. The book is illustrated by the hugely talented Aoife Quinn, from Co. Wicklow.
The motivation for this book came from reading to my own young children. I would have loved to have been able to show them a book like this with big drawings and information about our Irish wildlife but unfortunately could fine none. In book shops today, there are lots of picture books available about sharks and bears, big cats and spiders from all over the world, but there are none that focus specifically on the Irish fauna.
Children today have an impressive knowledge of exotic wildlife from around the world, but as this video shows, when it comes to what is found in their own country, that knowledge is sadly lacking! I wanted to produce a really beautiful book that would capture the imagination of young children and hopefully sow a seed that will grow with them into adulthood.
Through my work on other wildlife publications and in visiting school children to talk about wildlife, I have seen the great joy experienced when you open a child’s eyes to animals and the world around them.
In 2005, I published a hardback book called ‘Ireland’s Mammals’ for older readers, which received wonderful feedback from parents, teachers and children in particular. I would now like to publish this large format high quality book that will introduce our mammals to a younger audience. The book will include large illustrations on each double page spread and very accessible text for early readers.
(Please note: Even if my funding target is met, I will be absolutely delighted to print extra books so there is no upper limit on the number of rewards available, so please feel free to continue ordering if you wish. Also, please note: The sample pages and book mock-up included in this promotional video is for demonstration purposes and the cover design and fonts, etc. may differ in the final publication, but this will indeed be a large format book with approximately 60 pages; minimum page size will be 240mm x 240mm).
Supporters who back this journey will in effect be pre-ordering a copy or copies of the book which can be posted to them or to friends or family as gifts. In doing so they will be spreading the word about our beautiful fauna and educating our children about their native Irish animals.
I would be so grateful if you would be willing to help fund this project. Anyone who generously offers a contribution towards the cost of printing this book will be contributing directly towards sharing the often hidden beauty of Ireland’s wildlife with future generations.
Many thanks for reading about my book.
I hope you will enjoy it!
Juanita