Book festival closes its covers for 2011

THE Children’s Book Festival has drawn to a close at libraries around the county for another year.
The month-long celebration of books and reading saw thousands of children attend a bumper programme of events, including live history workshops, children’s puppet theatre, art and craft sessions, music and author visits by some of the best writers for children in Ireland today. Poetry workshops also featured this year.
Children were introduced to Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Robert Burns and to the art of Claude Monet through the multi-disciplinary sessions delivered by Tony Maude from London and Dr Fred Freeman from Edinburgh. Both artists shows included an excellent mix of poetry, art, literature and music to the delight of their young audiences.
Modern music making was enjoyed by fifth and sixth class audiences who took part in the workshops of John Lillis. Six sessions of non-stop entertainment featured beat-boxing, scratching and a very informative hands-on lesson on the techniques employed by a successful DJ.
Authors Bob Burke, Nicola Pierce, Oisin McGann, Judi Curtin, Dolores Keaveney and Bridget Bhreathnach travelled the county with all library branches hosting at least one author event for their local schools.
One of the highlights of this year’s festival was the Irish History Live Show, presented by Michael Moylan. Children in Ennis, Ennistymon, Miltown Malbay and Tulla were transported back to the 1916 Rising or to the Second World War. The history of the times was wonderfully evoked by Michael’s travelling museum of clothes, replica weapons and artefacts of the period.