A NEW reading guide from Children’s Books Ireland celebrating picture books and illustration is now available in every branch library in Limerick.
‘Picture This’ features over 230 recommended reads for children and young people which have been reviewed by experts in children’s literature.
The guide aims to break down barriers to children’s reading, making books of all kinds accessible to children across Limerick, including those who may have reading difficulties or whose first language may not be English or Irish.
Each review is accompanied by a ‘Read also’ recommendation, bringing the total of books included to over 450.
‘Picture This’ focuses on books with strong visual narratives, including wordless or silent books, graphic novels and comics, picture books for all ages and graphic diary-style texts. The guide aims to highlight books, series and texts to encourage reluctant readers or those with language barriers to engage with reading.
Children’s Books Ireland chief executive Elaina Ryan said that pictures on the page aren’t just a stepping stone, they’re a journey in themselves.
“Pictures are important. They are rich and expressive and joyful and complex. As a child, they’re our first dip into the world of storytelling – but they’re not something to be left behind once a child is comfortable reading text.
“Presenting an alternative route to the linear progression from picture books to chapter books, we want ‘Picture This’ to give children and young people in Limerick just a little bit of space to discover a love of reading at their own pace, to read stories in formats they never knew about or would never have considered, to come back again and again to an illustration, experiencing the joy of finding something new each time.
“We hope these stories will have special appeal for young readers with reading difficulties, or those whose first language may not be English or Irish.”
Testament to the increased visibility of excellent books for children as Gaeilge, the guide, whose Irish name ‘Amharc! Breathnaigh! Féach!’, translates to ‘Look! Look! Look!’, features 29 Irish language books.
These include new releases, such as An Slipéar Gloine by Fearghas Mac Lochlainn and Paddy Donnelly, and family favourites such as Geansaí Otto by Sadhbh Devlin and Tarsila Krüse. All books from Irish authors, illustrators, publishers or those written in the Irish language are highlighted in the guide with a shamrock.
The ‘Picture This’ guide is free to download from the Children’s Books Ireland website: childrensbooksireland.ie.
