We were thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Peter Donnelly, one of Ireland's foremost illustrators and picturebook makers, to discuss life, work, inspiration, and everything in between! Listen in for a chance to hear about how Peter was inspired by a mountain, and how NOT getting into art college was the best thing that ever happened to him. If you've ever wondered: how did Peter Donnelly come up with the brilliant idea to write a picturebook about the President of Ireland, then you've found your happy place. Come and join us as we winkle out Peter Donnelly's Storyshaped secrets!

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Peter's own:

The President's Glasses

The President's Cat

The President's Dog

The President's Surprise

The Dead Zoo

The Great Discovery

Up on the Mountain

Little Wolf

And the stories that shaped him include:

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by PJ Lynch

The work of PJ Lynch

Monty Python, British TV comedy

The Prince of Egypt, animated movie on which Peter worked

Anastasia, animated movie on which Peter worked

Tilly and Friends, by Polly Dunbar

This is Ireland, by Miroslav Sacek

The work of Mac Barnett

The work of Jon Klassen

The Fairy Isle, by Síne Quinn, illustrated by Dermot Flynn

Beanie the Bansheenie, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy

Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

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