Children’s books reviews: Christmas crackers for Gaelscoil girls and young Irish rugby fans

What could possibly go wrong when she comes up with the totally brilliant idea that her class should organise a ‘Scoil Eoin’s Got Festive Talent’ show?

No one could have anticipated a Christmas calamity might ensue, or that during the show, Milly would be the very pupil to bring the house down — and not with rounds of applause.

It’s not that Milly ever looks for trouble; it simply goes out of its way to find her, despite her best intentions. And in this case, her intentions are as divinely inspired as the nativity surprise she is secretly planning for the talent show finale.

Whatever can go wrong will go wrong when Milly is involved, and although complete chaos does not fully erupt until the final stages of this, her fourth escapade, just like Christmas, we know it will be worth the wait.

The well-meaning Milly’s inadvertent knack for creating calamities makes her an endearing central character, with the overbearing Big Bow Rebecca also playing a blinder. 

Her starring role in the show, however, is less stellar than Rebecca would have wished, due to Múinteoir Emer’s refusal to let her perform her Feis Maitiú solo recitation and keep her fellow pupils firmly out of the limelight.

The Irish language does take centre stage though, Kinsale teacher Leona Forde’s series being set in a Gaelscoil in the fictional Cork town of Ballybrogin. 

Milly’s December debacle ensures the Rebel cailín will be top of the Christmas list for many young Irish readers, giving Hot Mess, the 19th title in Jeff Kinney’s ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series to which Milly McCarthy has often been compared, a run for its money.

The Story of Irish Rugby by Gerard Siggins, illustrated by Graham Corcoran (O’Brien Press, €19.99) 

It was Munster’s famous 12-0 win over New Zealand in 1978 that inspired the equally famous remark from All Blacks wing Stu Wilson: “We were lucky to get nil.” The province’s victory, in front of 12,000-strong Thomond Park crowd, was a remarkable feat against an All Blacks team that beat England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales on that 1978-79 tour, ending with a record of 17 matches won and just this one lost.

It was also, as Gerard Siggins notes, one of the very few rugby matches ever to have “inspired books, songs and even a stage play”. And it now stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest games in rugby’s 170-plus-year history in Ireland, as chronicled in the new children’s title from the former sports journalist and author of the 'Rugby Spirit' series.

More popular in this country than ever before, rugby has come a long way since it was introduced into Ireland by Trinity College students who had learned the game in English schools. Without other teams against which to play in the years immediately following the establishment of a rugby club in the Dublin university in 1854, the opponents in one Trinity match were simply labelled “dark hair” versus “fair hair”.

Even Siggins’ informative story of the development of Irish rugby does not relate how opportunities have improved for bald or red-headed rugby players in the intervening years, though it does shine a bright spotlight on the rise and rise of the women’s game, as well as underage rugby and Irish stars on the international stage.

Limerick’s Joy Neville, as she calls time on her refereeing career, gets a nice mention, as does Munster and Ireland U20s coach Niamh Briggs, in this sporting celebration, colourfully illustrated by Graham Corcoran.

Corresponding with the game’s rising popularity is an increasing youth readership for books about the sport, and among a number of rugby titles for children released in the run-up to Christmas is journalist Paul Flynn’s latest addition to Gill Books’ ‘Irish Sporting Legends’ series.

In a dyslexia-friendly title suitable for reluctant readers, Ireland’s Call (€14.99) charts this year’s Six Nations campaign match by match, following the highs and lows of a team adjusting after the retirement of inspirational captain Johnny Sexton.

An Fia sa Choill Sadhbh Devlin, illustrated by Anastasia Melnykova (Futa Fata, €14.95) 

Ukrainian artist Anastasia Melnykova, now living in Cork, makes her illustration debut for Irish language publishers Futa Fata by capturing the fluctuating hues of forest and glen in an ethereal interpretation of the love story of Sadhbh and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

Set against a backdrop of muted tones of mauve and jade, Sadhbh leaps into Fionn’s life in deer form, her startling green eyes and the behaviour of his hounds Bran and Sceolán alerting him to the fact this is no ordinary animal.

Wicklow author Sadhbh Devlin retells in elegant prose the tale of how her namesake Sadhbh, once she sets foot in the fort of the Fianna, transforms back into her original form as a beautiful young woman, lifting the curse put upon her by an evil druid after she refused his marriage proposal.

Though initially reluctant to reveal the details of this enchantment, Sadhbh eventually confides in Fionn, Devlin taking the opportunity to develop the character from what she says was a mere “she was beautiful” reference in traditional versions, to a fuller representation of a woman who narrates her own story of fear and courage.

Sadhbh’s fate, of course, remains as grim as in any telling of this 'Fenian Cycle' tale, as while pregnant with Fionn’s son Oisín, she is deceived into straying from the protection of the fort and is transformed by the druid back into a deer — this time for good.

With this worthy successor to An Féileacán agus an Rí and Cluasa Capaill, Futa Fata has succeeded in sprinkling another Irish legend with new magic to enchant young readers as Gaeilge.

The same publishers have also re-imagined Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and John Ryan’s CD of songs inspired by the sea, Ceol na Mara, originally released nearly 20 years ago, as a picture book illustrated by Tarsila Krüse and Úna Woods (€16.95).

Versatile for singing along with the recordings via QR codes or reading aloud as poems, these short verses in simple Irish include the rhythmically mesmeric ‘Cé as a dTagann na Tonnta?’ and ‘Seo Chugainn an Stoirm’, plus odes to seals, whales, sharks, and dear departed Dingle dolphin Fungie.

And lest there could be any misapprehension about the focus of Irish language books being fixed on themes of the past, Futa Fata’s look back at legends is counterbalanced by another of its new releases — Máirín Ní Mhárta’s translation of the third of Dav Pilkey’s immensely popular ‘Dog Man’ graphic novels, now titled Scéal an Dá Phuisín (€9.95).