Best Selling Books by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Two small boys wage war against each other in this parable about the futility of fighting.

A young girl asks questions about growing up as she walks over rolling hills, climbs a ladder up to the stars, and meets a dragon.

When Mother tells her young son about a sea voyage they took some years earlier she adds, "but you were only a baby, you wouldn''t remember." But, as the reader soon discovers, the boy has quite vivid memories--of increasingly hilarious goings-on that made no impression whatsoever on his amusingly oblivious mother and aunt.

Donegal, 1976 When a dolphin takes up residence in Carrig Cove, Emer and her best friend, Fee, feel like they have an instant connection with it. Then Dog Cullen and his sidekick, Kit, turn up, and the four friends begin to sneak out at midnight to go down to the beach, daring each other to swim closer and closer to the creature . . . But the fame and fortune the dolphin brings to their small village builds resentment amongst their neighbours across the bay, and the summer days get longer and hotter . . . There is something wild and intense in the air. Love feels fierce, old hatreds fester, and suddenly everything feels worth fighting for. In this beautiful, epic coming-of-age novel, an old tale is rewoven as a stunning YA story by well-known Irish author/illustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick.

In this rhythmic read-aloud, all you need is an imagination to experience the thrill of a great train ride. When a girl shouts "I can make a train noise, now!" her imagination transforms a coffee shop into a zooming train, and her words clickity-clack across the tracks and blare like a train horn. In a flash, salt shakers and ketchup bottles become skyscrapers, and the girl''s voice rattles along the tracks with "I can make a train noise I can make a train noise." Her voice whistles "Nowowwwwww!" The propulsive, rhythmic text that mimics train sounds is sure to captivate all kids, pair it with gorgeously detailed artwork and you have a read-aloud like no other. Michael Emberley, is the author and artist of many acclaimed children''s books, including most notably It''s Perfectly Normal. Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick is one of Ireland''s most distinguished illustrators of books for children. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

“A warm and clever tale celebrating tolerance and friendship.” —School Library Journal A mother owl and her three little owlets live happily on their branch. That is, until the bat family moves in. The newfound neighbors (owls up top, bats hanging below) can’t help but feel a little wary of one another. But babies are curious little creatures, and that curiosity, along with a wild, stormy night, might just bring these two families together. With subtly and hilariously shifting facial expressions and gestures, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick brings her accessible graphic style to a warm and ingenious wordless tale that is sure to bring smiles to readers of all ages.

When Izzy''s favorite puppet is lost, she overcomes her fears to find him.

Suzy Button is grieving. Grieving for her dead mother, but also for the friends she''s left behind, the father who no longer laughs and the life that she once had. In desperation she finds herself in the garden in the middle of the night, under the light of a supermoon, wishing everything would change. And suddenly, it does. Into school walks Rhiannon, a fearless new girl who makes Suzy her instant best friend. And Rhiannon seems to make things . . . happen. If Suzy wants something, somehow Rhiannon can make it so: friends, beach parties, midnight photoshoots under a moonlit sky . . . Suzy''s life is finally moving forward again. But where did Rhiannon come from? She doesn''t seem to live in Sallycove. Why can''t Suzy go to her house? And why does she never have any stuff? Suzy might be her best friend, but does she really know who Rhiannon is?

Off the coast of Ireland there lies an island. It looks just like a giant sleeping in the sea. What if it really is a giant -- and what if, one day, the Sleeping Giant wakes up?

Beth doesn''t want to go to silly school! She doesn''t want to go for storytime, or painting, or singing. So what does she want to do? This is a great book to share with young children who are just starting school themselves.

Two lives, four centuries apart, but a dark secret ties them together. It''s summer, and the world of the theatre barge is coming to life. It''s Lally''s world and the only one she''s ever known. But when her father pulls an ancient piece of wood from the canal and fashions it into a puppet, strange things begin to happen. Soon Lally starts to wonder whether there is something sinister about the wooden doll - could she be connected to the mysterious hagwitch?

?`Eatums, eatums, yum, yum, yum.? Silly Mommy. `Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.? Silly Daddy.? Beth won?t smile today. Who can cheer her up? Not Mommy, not Daddy, not Grandpa or Grandma. Not even silly Auntie Bea. Can anyone brighten Beth?s mood? Maybe big sister can save the day . . . Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick?s short, lively text and engaging illustrations make this an ideal book for even the youngest reader, and a fun one to share with a sibling.

There is a new baby in Beth''s family, and because he cannot walk or talk and simply cries, Beth thinks he is a very silly baby.

Beth is very cross and will not smile. The whole family tries to put her in a sunny mood, but only big sister can save the day.

Boo can roar, kick and bite. But so can Geraldine. And she''s not going to be left out! She roars very loudly, kicks Mummy and bites Daddy. Things are looking bad and only Geraldine''s toys seem to understand her. But when Geraldine cries, Baby Boo cries too and suddenly everything changes. "Don''t cry, Baby Boo," says Geraldine. "Don''t cry." Now there is Mummy and Daddy and Geraldine and Boo, a happy family who all love each other. This witty and sensitive picture book perfectly captures the feelings of a child with a new baby in the family.

Life''s not much fun when you have to play alone! One little boy''s big imagination helps him to conjure up some playmates and transports him into a magical world of his own making. But the games never seem to last long enough. Is there anything or anyone with a sense of adventure as strong as his? A beautifully crafted, lyrical tale of imagination and friendship from the award-winning author/illustrator of The Sleeping Giant.

When Dilly arrives on the island of Ollipest, she is unsure what to expect from her new life... She certainly doesn''t expect to find magic! But as she crosses the threshold of her aunt''s house for the first time, she wishes for a dog, and her companion wishes for tea... low and behold, the two things appear. Until now, the magic of Ollipest Island has been a well-kept secret. Then the Museum of Lost Umbrellas opens after many years of closure... The museum is about to show Dilly that magic not only runs through the island but through her ancestors, too, and perhaps even through her. And when the museum attracts some very unsavoury anti-magic outsiders, Dilly must unlock the powers she has to help keep the island safe. A dazzling, epic adventure where witches fly with umbrellas, magical dogs walk out of the sea and pet parrots suddenly become humans. This will keep readers on their edge of the seats and leave them desperate for the next instalment.

"This deeply moving work quietly and effectively underscores the drama and pathos of a little-known historical episode. In 1847 the Choctaw, themselves impoverished, raised $170 (the equivalent of more than $5ooo today) to aid the Irish, then in the throes of the great potato famine.""-Publishers Weekly, " Starred Review‚A Endorsed by the Choctaw Nation.‚A A Smithsonian Notable Book for Children, 1998.‚A Children''s Books of Ireland BISTO Book of the Year Merit Award, 1999.