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. I'm now taking bookings for next year, 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
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"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
"It was the best Zoom workshop we have attended this year and would I highly recommend it. 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
"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
Virtual Workshop 1: 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 Paddy.
Ideal for ages 3-7. Workshops are 1 hour long and held virtually via Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop includes:
- 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.
Virtual Workshop 2: 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 3-7. Workshops are 1 hour long and held virtually via Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop includes:
- 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!
Virtual Workshop 3: The Vanishing Lake
Something mysterious is happening at Lake Loughareema. There are days the lake is beautiful, shimmering, and full. And then there are other days . . . where the lake is completely empty. A captivating tale celebrating a young girl’s determination, a granddad’s wisdom, and the fantastical wonders of the natural world. This school event is filled with imagination, the natural world, lots of doodling and the magic of storytelling.
Ideal for ages 3-7. Workshops are 1 hour long and held virtually via Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop includes:
- Reading by Paddy of The Vanishing Lake.
- See photos of and learn facts about the real vanishing lake which inspired the book.
- Live draw-along as Paddy teaches the children how to draw characters from the book.
- Paddy reveals Granddad's secret stories that didn't make it into the book and live draws them. Sshh!
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
"Paddy gave a fantastic workshop with Kildare Libraries which was interactive and fun for all ages.His storytelling is great, and he even drew specific live draw-along requests from the children which they were delighted with. Paddy spent lots of time answering questions and interacting with everyone. He even shared some secrets from his book with the children which they loved. I’d definitely recommend Paddy for workshops!"
– Aideen Kerr, Celbridge Community Library
Virtual Workshop 4: Here Be Dragons
Let's go on a fun-filled mythical creature mashup! Young readers will love spotting the dragon in the background in this laugh-out-loud story. We'll dive into the world of mythical creatures and will come up with fantastical new ones using the kids' ideas. We'll be mashing bits of different animals together in this fun drawalong. The kids always love these hilarious combinations!
The author of Here Be Dragons, Susannah Lloyd, has a range of fun virtual workshops too, so check them out here.
Ideal for ages 3-7. Workshops are 1 hour long and held virtually via Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop includes:
- Reading by Paddy of Here Be Dragons.
- Live draw-along of the knight character from the book.
- Presentation and discussion around mythical creatures.
- Mythical creature mashup! Suggestions from the kids of their favourite animals. They get spun round in a randomiser wheel and Paddy will illustrate the mythical mashup creature.
- Q&A with Paddy on where he gets his ideas, how he creates his illustrations, any of his other books or anything else!
"Our primary 1 children have had a very limited experience at school so far due to covid-19, so to have a virtual book reading with the author and illustrator of the actual story was a thrilling interactive experience for them. I can't recommend it highly enough, particularly when school trips are limited!"
– Commercial Primary School, Dunfermline, Fife
Virtual Workshop 5: ‘How To Draw Horses, Bikes and Other Difficult Things’
Horses are an illustrator’s worst nightmare! And Bikes too! There are lots of things that illustrators find difficult to draw, but illustrator Paddy Donnelly has figured out a bunch of useful tips to get around the trickiest of drawings. He will share all his advice with the children in a confidence-boosting, drawing workshop.
Ideal for ages 3-7. Workshops are 1 hour long and held virtually via Zoom. Interaction is best with 1 class at a time, but can discuss possibilities for larger groups.
This workshop includes:
- Reading by author illustrator Paddy Donnelly of picture book of choice.
- Interactive draw-along as Paddy teaches the children how to draw a character from the chosen book.
- Discussion about what things Paddy and the children find difficult to draw.
- Interactive draw-along with tips on how to draw horses, bikes and other things based on suggestions from the children.
- Challenging Creature Mashup! We combine three of the toughest animals to draw into one 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!
Contact me if you'd like more details and pricing.