Book Paddy for a storytime and drawalong workshop.
Hello teachers and librarians! What better way to get the kids in your school excited about reading than have a picture book author and illustrator join your class for an interactive workshop? I offer a range of workshops, both in-person and virtually via Zoom, based around my picture books. You can find the details below.
My schedule for this year is filling up fast, so get in touch if you think your school would enjoy a storytime with some fun drawing activities.
Yesterday rounded off another fantastic @ArtsCouncilNI schools tour with some more amazing sessions from the talented @paddydonnelly. We visited @primary_leaney & Garryduff PS inspiring pupils to read for fun, design their own tails & every child got a personalised signed book! pic.twitter.com/YugAFKi2El
— BookTrustNI (@BookTrustNI) June 15, 2023
Feedback
"Paddy is a uniquely engaging and exciting presence for the children he works with. He brings out the joy of illustration and literature for even the most reluctant or shy student. His fun, warm personal style and highly professional attitude make him easy to work with. I would heartily recommend Paddy to anyone looking to engage children in art and literature."
- Chris Eisenstadt, NI Director of BookTrust
"Paddy was so engaging and the children were engrossed. There was utter silence for ages afterwards as they completed their illustrations."
– Mrs McCormack’s First Class, St Patricks Loreto, Bray
Workshop 1: Badger Books
From the world of award-winning, bestselling picture book Fox & Son Tailers. ‘Badger Books’ is a bookshop, run by a slightly grumpy badger. You can find books about every animal. From bears to elephants, tigers to dinosaurs and pandas to narwhals. But there’s one book they don’t have ... and it’s one that Rory the Fox really, really wants. A tale of intergenerational relationships, creativity, teamwork and the magic of stories.
Ideal for ages 5+, but can be edited for older age groups. Workshops are 1 hour long and can be done in person or over Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop can include:
- Reading by Paddy of Badger Books.
- Drawalong - Paddy will teach the children how to draw characters from his books.
- Creating a NEW story - Paddy and the children will invent a new story and illustrate it live.
- The children will learn to make their own little books to fill with their own stories.
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
- BONUS reading of another of Paddy’s books, as chosen by the group.
Workshop 2: The Golden Hare
My author illustrated picture book, The Golden Hare, is a follow up to my award-winning 2021 picture book The Vanishing Lake, and like the first instalment it's based on something from back home that's both real and at the same time quite unbelievable. Meara and Grandad set out on a journey to find the Golden Hare, a mythical, shape-shifting creature that can jump to the moon in two-and-a-half leaps! Along the way, they discover all sorts of treasures in the trees, under the ground and in the waves. In this workshop, kids will discover the magic of nature and together we'll draw new mythical creatures.
Ideal for ages 5+, but can be edited for older age groups. Workshops are 1 hour long and can be done in person or over Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop can include:
- Reading by Paddy of The Golden Hare.
- Interactive draw-along as Paddy teaches the children how to draw their very own magical hare.
- Paddy tells about the real life golden hare of Rathlin Island, and the inspiration for the book
- Learn about amazing animal facts from the creatures we see every day.
- Drawing exercise - Design your own unique and new mythical creature.
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
- BONUS reading of another of Paddy’s books, as chosen by the group.
Feedback
"Our Paddy Donnelly event was an absolute delight. He had the children engaged and enthralled from beginning to end. We look forward to doing more events with him in the future."
– Dubray Bookshop, Dublin
"A most enjoyable interactive session. Paddy enthralled us all with a reading of Fox & Son Tailers, then taught the children some drawing tricks, and created a wonderful character with suggestions he was given."
– Hodges Figgis Bookshop, Dublin
Workshop 3: Fox & Son Tailers
My latest author illustrated picture book, Fox & Son Tailers, is a heart-warming story which celebrates creativity. This 'tail' about the relationship between a father and son, encourages kids to follow their dreams and come up with their own unique ideas. This illustration workshop is filled with animals, imagination and lots of doodling as kids create their own tails in a drawalong with me.
Ideal for ages 5+, but can be edited for older age groups. Workshops are 1 hour long and can be done in person or over Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop can include:
- Reading by Paddy of Fox & Son Tailers.
- Interactive draw-along as Paddy teaches the children how to draw characters from the book.
- Discussion on where creative ideas come from.
- Learn about amazing tails in the animal kingdom.
- Drawing exercise - Design your own unique and amazing tail.
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
- BONUS reading of another of Paddy’s books, as chosen by the group.
Workshop 4: Dodos Are Not Extinct
My latest author illustrated picture book based around extinct animals. This book is full of silliness as we follow dodos, dinosaurs and mammoths who are all cleverly disguising themselves as other animals. Ssh! This is a fun-filled story & drawalong workshop to really get the little imaginations going.
Ideal for ages 5+, but can be edited for older age groups. Workshops are 1 hour long and can be done in person or over Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop can include:
- Reading by Paddy of Dodos Are Not Extinct.
- Interactive draw-along as Paddy teaches the children how to draw dodos and dinosaurs.
- Presentation on the fascinating world of extinct animals.
- Interactive draw-along to disguise animals in hilarious ways based on suggestions from the children.
- Discussion about how we can protect endangered species and the natural world.
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
Contact me if you'd like more details and pricing.