Clive McFarland – illustratör

Shortlisted for KPMG Children's Books IrelandCactus Joe is a lean 'n' mean prickle machine! He lives all alone in the desert and that's the way he likes it . . . until a woodpecker offers Joe a mighty fine deal: he'll eat Joe's pests if he gives him a home. Yeehaw!But soon more and more birds come to stay, and Joe decides enough is enough. All Joe wants is to be left alone . . . or does he?A heartwarming rhyming tale inspired by a real-life cactus!

This playful counting book shares the colorful highlights of the four seasons in charming illustrations.  Count your way through the seasons! In spring, the tree’s leaves appear, one by one. By summer, there’s a glorious canopy. And when autumn winds blow, leaves fly from the tree, one after another, leading us into winter. There’s a world of activity to spy in and around this beautiful tree as the wild creatures, and one little boy, celebrate the cycles of nature. As little ones count leaves, look for animals, and enjoy the changing seasonal landscape, bouncy rhymes and bold illustrations make learning to count easy—corresponding numerals reinforcing the learning fun.

Fred is a city fox. The city is a scary place for a fox like Fred. It's noisy, it can be hard to find food and it's often dangerous. One day Fred sees a flock of birds flying away over the city roofs. "Where do they go?" he wonders. And so he sets off to find the wild. All the other city animals say that there is no such place, but Fred knows better - or does he?

A story about a little chick learning to do a big thing! The heron chick sees her mum and all the big herons standing gracefully on one leg, but she just CAN’T do it! Maybe she just needs a little help? She tries to get her balance by leaning on a variety of things you’d find in the canal: a rock, another chick, and otter a swan – even a shoe someone has dumped! But she KEEPS overbalancing. Then she works it out. She can’t do it with people looking. Not even the reader. If they reader closes their eyes, she just might do it! Do you think she did it?A fun interactive book for small children, who will identify with the need to try and try again. They will also enjoy the fun of closing their eyes and wondering if the chick is succeeding while they can’t see her!