Paddy Donnelly is an Irish author and illustrator living in Belgium, who has illustrated many children’s books, including Dodos Are Not Extinct, Here Be Dragons, Míp, Hom, and Wolves in Helicopters. His work has achieved international acclaim. He has been nominated twice for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration, shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards, and in 2023 he won the Judges’ Special Award at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards. Paddy’s first book as author and illustrator, the award-winning The Vanishing Lake, also features Meara and her grandad. His hugely popular Fox & Son Tailers was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2022, and won the Literacy Association of Ireland Biennial Children’s Book Award in 2023. His books have been published in many languages. Paddy grew up on the beautiful north coast of Ireland, surrounded by mythical stories of giants, magical creatures and shape-shifting animals. His storytelling reflects his love of nature and animals.
