Skip to main content

Gorgeous Irish Children’s Books to Gift this Christmas 

Whether you’re buying for your own little one or selecting a gift for a friend or family member, you can’t go wrong with a book. Here, we’ve selected some of the highlights from the Christmas edition of Children’s Books Ireland’s brilliant ‘Deliver the Joy of Reading’ guide. Also included are the three winning kids’ titles from the recent 2021 An Post Irish Book Awards - so there really is something for everyone! 

 

Books for Tiny Tots

Little Adam King stole hearts all over the country when he appeared on the Toy Show last year. Now Adam’s dad, David King, has released A Hug for You (illustrations by Rhiannon Archard). Telling the story of the now iconic virtual hug, this lovely book was Junior category winner at the An Post Irish Book Awards. To a classic title next, given a new lease of life by the rich illustrations of PJ Lynch, a Laureate na nÓg. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore, is the perfect story to read to little ones before they head to bed on Christmas Eve. Finally, Mo Chuid Amhráin Nollag by Risteard Mac Liam with illustrations by Tatyana Feeney is a charming audio-visual collection of five Irish language Christmas songs.  

Titles for Older Kids 

These next brilliant titles will make great gifts for older children. Dublin comedian David O’Doherty was Senior category winner for The Summer I Robbed a Bank (illustrated by Chris Judge). In this hilarious caper, young Rex is persuaded to rob a travelling bank by his eccentric Uncle Derm. Nature lovers meanwhile will enjoy young author Dara McAnulty’s latest offering, Wild Child - A Journey Through Nature, illustrated by Barry Falls, is a beautiful exploration of five Irish habitats. Siobhán Daffy’s No Ordinary Joe is told through the eyes of Dan, who’s got a lot going on – between finishing primary school, looking after his little brother and writing songs. 

Teens & Young Adult

Shopping for a teenager or young adult? Be sure to check out Teen category winner The New Girl by Sinéad Moriarty. Despite having very different life experiences, Ruby becomes friends with the ‘new girl’ at school; Safa, a Syrian refugee. Wolfstongue meanwhile is the children’s fiction debut by Booker-longlisted author, Sam Thompson. It’s a magical fable about the power of language, words and voice. Jackie Hurley’s Girls Play Too is an empowering collection of stories about Irish sportswomen, including Katie Taylor, Sonia O’Sullivan and Rosemary Smith. 

The amazing team at Children’s Books Ireland have also just launched their #GiftABook appeal, encouraging all of us to give the gift of reading to a child this Christmas. Your donation can put a book in the hands of a child who might not otherwise have one. Discover the shortlisted childrens books for more gift inspiration.

You've exceeded the maximum login attempts
Your account has been locked for 30 minutes to prevent fraudulent activity
Your session has timed out
Would you like to log in again to continue?
Marketing Preferences

We have updated our Marketing preferences to give a customised experience of when and how we can contact you.

Let's stay in touch

Get the latest offers and news from the An Post group of companies by:

We have updated our terms of service