Books for children

For children starting school what better way to ease into a new language than by sharing a good story.

Walker Books have teamed up with Foras na Gaeilge to produce Irish translations of well-known, much loved stories such as Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney; The Ravenous Beast by Niamh Sharkey; Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and A Bit Lost by Chris Houghton. The beautiful illustrations and simple texts make the introduction to the Irish language a real treat. (All titles; €8.35)

Give Us A Goal by Paul Cookson (Frances Lincoln; €7.10) is a sometimes hilarious collection of football poems, ranging from a parody of The Lord’s Prayer to Chants that didn’t Catch on. All aspects of the ‘beautiful game’ are analysed, but the more interesting poems are about the peripheral characters. Age eight and upwards.