Paddy Donnelly is an Irish author & illustrator living in Belgium. He grew up on the north coast of Ireland, surrounded by mythical stories of giants, magical creatures and shape-shifting animals - all set in a stunning landscape from another time. All of this prompted his love for nature, animals, the sea and storytelling. He creates his illustrations digitally, but loves working with a textured, painterly approach. He wishes Pluto was still a planet.
A beautiful book anchored in a simply brilliant idea … a world
where animals have no tails: call in the Tailers! Genius.
*Joseph Coelho, in The Guardian*
A beautiful story with a heart-warming ending ... and with foxes! I
love it.
*Chris Haughton*
The fox gets a poor deal in stories. The scourge of every henhouse,
not even gingerbread men are safe from his jaws, and the ‘sly’
creature forever doomed to take the bad-guy role in almost every
fable and fairytale. Even though we may admire his intelligence, a
vulpine character can never be trusted, for fear his cunning will
be turned to nefarious purpose. It is delightful, therefore, to
step through the doors of Fox&Son, ‘Makers of the Finest
Traditional Tails’, into an elegant world of top hats and tweeds.
It is, indeed, a tale of tails, and what fine bushy tails they are
too. Young Rory’s father, whose name, by some strange quirk of
fate, is Fox, is a tailer, like his father and grandfather before
him. Animals arrive from far and wide to have their measurements
taken and speciality tails of all shapes and sizes created to their
own specifications. … Rory, however, is bored of helping his father
to make the same old tails, day in, day out. He longs to put his
designs for fancy, feathery, flamboyant fashions into practice but
Fox is not impressed with such “silly things”. Despite his father’s
conservatism, Rory sneaks into the workshop when everyone is asleep
and continues to let his imagination run wild, creating “wacky
ideas” for colourful tails designed to showcase the wearer’s
individuality. The determination to overcome the scepticism of
others and follow his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this
uplifting celebration of originality, beautifully presented in
vibrant hues by Antrim-born author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly
*The Echo*
like all of Paddy's books, is another gem. It's a beautifully
published and produced hardback … There are so many parts of this
book to love - from the heartwarming tale to the stunning, rich
illustrations and the underlying message. To start with the
illustrations, there is no denying how beautiful Fox and Son
Tailers is! The pictures are incredibly detailed - there are so
many little bits to look at and talk about … favourite was the
double-page spread of the peacock wearing his new tail - stunning.
The colour palette is rich and warm - perfect for an autumnal
bedtime story. The message behind the story is a worthy one too.
It's about the value of creativity, trying out new things,
believing in yourself and so much more…Utterly lovely book, well
worth a read to appreciate its beauty and warmth
*@literate.littles*
cleverly written and wonderfully illustrated, this is a must have …
will have readers of all ages smiling
*MyShelvesAreFull*
I love Fox and Son Tailers … A charming story with detailed, witty
illustrations. Age 3+
*Sarah Webb*
I’m suddenly a huge fan. His artwork is vibrant, playful and
clever. “Fox and Son Tailer” is great and it’s not a spelling
mistake. They make tails. It’s also a lovely book about creativity.
Great stuff
*Simon Smith @smithsmm*
quite simply a charming children’s story …The writing is a mix of
both prose and verse which adds cadence to this whimsical yet
sentimental little tale about embracing your creativity and
discovering that the people you know the best can still surprise
you. Donnelly’s digital illustrations are wonderfully textured and
inventive, there’s even a secret adventure if you follow the mice
on every page. Another triumph of storytelling from the author of
the captivating children’s book The Vanishing Lake
*Irish Examiner*
Paddy Donnelly’s new picture book will suit young readers
perfectly. It celebrates the joy and importance of creativity,
family love and relationships, and it has a particularly fine ‘what
if’ as its starting point. Fox and Son Tailers you see, have been
providing tails to smartly dressed animals for generations. Their
shop is always busy, filled with birds and animals of all sorts
trying on tails for size. Rory, youngest in the family, helps his
dad in the shop, measuring the customers. Each spread is filled
with bustle and activity so that you can almost hear the chatter of
the customers, the opening and closing of doors and drawers. The
pages depicting the fittings for the first day back at school is
particularly hectic, feathers, tape measures and fluffy tails
flying everywhere as little bunnies cause chaos … Donnelly’s
digital artwork has a gorgeous textured, painterly feel that is
just right for the story and there’s much to enjoy, discover and
discuss in this story
*Books for Keeps*
The fox gets a poor deal in stories. The scourge of every henhouse,
not even gingerbread men are safe from his jaws, and the ‘sly’
creature forever doomed to take the bad-guy role in almost every
fable and fairytale. Even though we may admire his intelligence, a
vulpine character can never be trusted, for fear his cunning will
be turned to nefarious purpose. It is delightful, therefore, to
step through the doors of Fox&Son, ‘Makers of the Finest
Traditional Tails’, into an elegant world of top hats and tweeds.
It is, indeed, a tale of tails, and what fine bushy tails they are
too. Young Rory’s father, whose name, by some strange quirk of
fate, is Fox, is a tailer, like his father and grandfather before
him. Animals arrive from far and wide to have their measurements
taken and speciality tails of all shapes and sizes created to their
own specifications. … Rory, however, is bored of helping his father
to make the same old tails, day in, day out. He longs to put his
designs for fancy, feathery, flamboyant fashions into practice but
Fox is not impressed with such “silly things”. Despite his father’s
conservatism, Rory sneaks into the workshop when everyone is asleep
and continues to let his imagination run wild, creating “wacky
ideas” for colourful tails designed to showcase the wearer’s
individuality. The determination to overcome the scepticism of
others and follow his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this
uplifting celebration of originality, beautifully presented in
vibrant hues by Antrim-born author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly
*Evening Echo*
The illustrations by Donnelly are humorous, colourful, and very
detailed. The illustrations allow for plenty of talk and
discussion. I would recommend this book for children ages 4-7. This
story could also be integrated into a literacy lesson to help
explore themes about families, animals, and encourage students to
explore their own creativity through the visual arts. The story
would be very useful as a resource to teach the reading
comprehension strategies of comparing, connecting and creating
images in the junior classes
*Seomra Ranga*
Paddy Donnelly never ceases to thoroughly enchant me with his
picture books. Storytelling and drawing have always been an
important part of his life and his creations, gifted to us through
both his illustrations and his writing, take us on imaginative,
quirky, heartfelt journeys into the world around us … A charming
tale filled with wordplay and expressive pictures, this book is
full of personality. It is a wonder that shows the magic of
following your dreams and staying true to your own course,
regardless of what others (even those closest to you) may think.
There is also a solid sense of inter-generational family life;
carrying on with traditions while adding that special something of
yourself that allows for growth, change and well…life to bloom.
With meticulous detail and clever twists of the brush, we visit an
animal world not unlike our own, with a variety of creatures who
have certain needs and expectations, all of which are met by Fox &
Son. But it is Rory’s’ dream to offer something unexpected. While
first met with a gentle “just do as you’re told,” Rory is
determined and quietly perseveres. And it seems he was right all
along…we need a bit of “different” in our lives! Quirky, fun,
creative, joyous…and heartwarming. Fox & Son Tailer is utterly
wonderful!
*Fallen Star Stories*
Paddy is a visual storyteller and the details in the illustrations
through the pages where Rory helps his Dad in his shop are brim
full of extra details that children will delight in. Rory is a
maverick! He comes up with new and innovative suggestions for tails
with bright colours, feathers, spikes and bounce! Rory’s Dad is
unconvinced. Tradition is tradition in the noble profession he
follows until a very important customer, Mr Peacock comes shopping
for a tail like no other…will Rory’s imaginative ideas be what this
customer is looking for? Honouring his Irish roots where mythical
and magical creatures weave themselves into storytelling, Paddy’s
new book is a gorgeous, colourful treat of a story! Reminiscent of
the origin Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, I think you’ll love
the satisfying ending in which an apology, a very happy peacock and
a new generation of ‘tailers’ feature
*Educa8Wirral*
#BookOfTheDay, 5th Sep 2022
*ACHUKA*
one of the most beautiful looking books we’ve seen in a long
time
*RTE Guide*
A clever story with exuberant illustrations that are full of tiny
details for young eyes to pore over. A real winner
*Irish Independent*
beautifully illustrated
*Tuam Herald*
a wonderful new children’s book that reimagines the father-and-son
relationship and emphasises the importance of creative expression.
Beautifully written and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly; the colours
jump off the page as Donnelly’s prose weaves a vivid and fun
narrative to be enjoyed by all families
*Jay Hall, Kennys Bookshop in the Sunday Times Ireland*
this is a fabulous book, the illustrations are gorgeous … a
beautiful book, I highly recommend it
*Caroline Busher - Ireland AM*
This is such a clever book, with wonderfully rich illustrations,
and is sure to be enjoyed again and again
*Irish Examiner*
the story is clever and the illustrations are full of tiny details
for young eyes to pore over
*Irish Independent*
such a joy to read … a real explosion of colour … The detail in
this world that Paddy has created is brilliant, there is so much to
see every time you read it and it’s a proper celebration of
creativity and uniqueness, I adored this one … The colours and the
style … absolutely gorgeous, you can imagine kids off trying to
make their own tails by the end’
*CBI’s Elaina Ryan on Here and Back Again*
visually inventive and utterly charming
*Woman’s Way*
fabulous
*Westmeath Examiner*
a lovely tale about following your dreams and being prepared to try
new things. Each page is beautifully illustrated with colourful and
charming pictures which support the story with lots of interesting
and often funny details to notice. There is lots to explore in the
masterful communication of the various characters’ emotions through
the illustrated gestures and expressions. This is a really lovely,
fun story which will engage many a Key Stage 1 reader
*Shortlisted for the 2023 English Association’s English 4-11
Picture Book Awards*
I read this story with a first class and they loved it. It was
perfect for this age group … The book served as an excellent
catalyst for an integrated unit of learning. The captivating
illustrations not only delighted the children but also prompted
meaningful discussions comparing the past and present, especially
the street scene on the first two pages. They also enjoyed the
humour in the pictures, such as one scene showing Rory attempting
to measure various animals for their tails, which sparked a lively
discussion on how someone could possibly measure a giraffe! To
foster creativity and descriptive writing skills, the class engaged
in an activity where they imagined and designed their own unique
tails, reflecting their individual personalities. They explored
descriptive language to characterize the shape, size, texture,
colors, and materials that could be used for their tails. This
exercise enriched their vocabulary and encouraged imaginative
expression. To integrate the story with art, the students brought
their ideas to life by crafting their tails using a variety of
materials, including felt, feathers, glitter, tinsel, fabric,
pompoms, and even items like random Christmas decorations. This
artistic process allowed them to showcase their creativity and
individuality just like Rory did in the story. During our
concluding reflection on the story, the children shared their
favorite aspects of the book. While the illustrations, colours, and
humour were all mentioned, the majority of the children expressed
how much they liked the father-son relationship portrayed in the
story. They particularly enjoyed witnessing the triumph of the
son’s creativity in the end - Karen Doyle & 1st class, Scoil
Mhuire, Dublin 18
*Seomra Ranga*
The determination to overcome the scepticism of others and follow
his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this celebration of
originality, presented in vibrant hues by Antrim-born
author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly
*The Echo*
At its heart this book is a story of father and son navigating
growing and changing together. There is such warmth in this story,
brought to life through the almost autumnal colours used in the
illustrations. Throughout the book there are many charming
intricacies in the illustrations that enhance the story further.
Readers will spend hours poring over the town of Ballybrush on the
endpapers, as well as trying to keep track of the mischievous mice
on every page. This rich tale about tails will stay with readers
long after reading. Almost as long as Fox & Son Tailers has been in
business!
*Children's Books Ireland*
The images in this book are engaging and exciting, full of detail
and personality. They capture the emotion and energy of the
characters, who really come to life through these illustrations.
The relationship of Fox and his dad is real and evolves throughout
the story. The importance of parent and child collaboration,
understanding and acceptance is a key message, as is the need to
keep hold of dreams and keep working towards them
*justimagine.co.uk*
charming … the illustrations are a treat, and Paddy Donnelly hangs
an engaging little tale on it all too
*Irish Examiner*
Stunning … really clever … a gorgeous book … my favourite Irish
picture book of 2023
*Clara Maria Fiorenti*
the very best in Irish children’s books published in 2023 ... For
readers aged 3+ who enjoy a giggle there is lots to choose from
including … Dodos are not Extinct by Paddy Donnelly’
*RTEJr*
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