Shhh - the silence is spreading
Following the Irish tour of the much-admired Silent Books exhibition last year, several libraries are now buying their own sets.
The hundred-plus wordless picture books from around the world visited Ballyroan, Tallaght and Tralee libraries as well as dlr LexIcon between April and June 2017. They were accompanied by workshops in which primary school pupils learned the story behind the collection, one set of which is housed permanently on the island of Lampedusa, a transit point for refugees entering Europe. Children browsed the books; stepped into the shoes, hopes and fears of those forced to flee, and designed their own ideal countries of refuge complete with laws, flags, foods and even languages.
The beautiful exhibition has now inspired librarians in South Dublin and Galway to order sets, and dlr LexIcon is currently cataloguing its recently-arrived collection. IBBY Ireland is excited and delighted by the noise the Silent Books are making around the country.
‘The exhibition was an absolute gift. It appealed to all ages from babies to primary and
secondary school pupils, artists and illustrators, storytellers, authors and of course the
public. The workshops were a brilliant, a thought-provoking way to encourage children's
creativity, problem-solving and team work. They could be replicated in any classroom in the
country, bringing understanding and sensitivity in a really practical way … of the plight of
refugees and displaced peoples.’
Marian Keyes, programmer of events and exhibitions at the dlr LexIcon.
‘Tralee Library enjoyed hosting the Silent Books exhibition in June. We did have a number of
classes who visited specially to view it. It was great to see the children engage with the
concept of books not needing words to tell a story - books that children of all nationalities
can enjoy.'
Maria Doyle, Tralee Library
Taking leave of your senses in Wexford
For the final leg of its Irish tour, the IBBY Collection of books for and about young people with disabilities is stopping over in Wexford Town Library where author-illustrator Tatyana Feeney brought it to life for local school children through a workshop called 'Take Leave of Your Senses'.
Exploring the collection and a range of props, the children were invited to respond to various objects and textures using only their senses of touch and smell. They then produced images inspired by their experience and things got very colourful!
The IBBY Collection Goes North: the Launch of INNER PEACE
Over the month of March and into the beginning of April 2018, the staff and pupils of Glenveagh Special School based in Belfast were proud to host the IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities. As the exhibition took place in the school, it was co-ordinated with other exciting events which kicked off to great fanfare.
After the BIG PICTURE event, the pupils of the school had another important activity coming up, namely the launch of their very own special needs book called INNER PEACE, A Coping Companion in Times of Stress.
The book was to be launched in the Seamus Heaney Centre in Belfast at a Fighting Words Belfast seminar, once again in the presence of the IBBY collection which had pride of place at the venue.
The pupils had worked so hard to create this book in the hope that it will be included in the IBBY Collection at some point in the future! They had such a great time signing their book and telling everyone at the conference about the IBBY Collection and their own book and how it had a place at the venue. As the launch was coming to an end, it was announced that Northern Ireland Libraries would be happy to purchase the book for all its branches. What an achievement for all the pupils who were involved! You can find out more about INNER PEACE in this short video.
After this event, the collection then moved to Finaghy Road Library where Pat Ryan generously provided a storytelling session. Pat did a marvellous job and ended the session with a look at all the books with the pupils.
The IBBY Collection Goes North: Inspiration
Over the month of March and into the beginning of April 2018, the staff and pupils of Glenveagh Special School based in Belfast were proud to host the IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities. As the exhibition took place in the school, it was co-ordinated with other exciting events which kicked off to great fanfare: a BIG PICTURE event led by Laureate PJ Lynch and a book launch among other things.
Many of the pupils in Glenveagh responded to the collection of Ibby books in many different ways. One pupil in particular, who has a very limited reading ability, was able to distinguish between books that were written in various Eastern languages!
Other pupils responded to the books at Finaghy Road Library using art.
And the pupils' favourite books overall were...
Find out all about It Can't Be True and 'Snow White Knits a Monster' in the collection's catalogue over here.
The books have now left the North and are currently on view in Wexford Town. Go see it!
The IBBY Collection Goes North
Over the month of March and into the beginning of April 2018, the staff and pupils of Glenveagh Special School based in Belfast were proud to host the IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities. As the exhibition took place in the school, it was co-ordinated with other exciting events which kicked off to great fanfare!
Laureate na nÓg and IBBY Ireland Patron PJ Lynch arrived to the school to assist pupils with his BIG PICTURE project while at the same time Máire Zepf, the Seamus Heaney Children’s Fellow, arrived to the school to give a reading session surrounded by the books from the IBBY Collection.
Not surprisingly, the whole morning event was over in a snap as there was so much fun being had in the school! The wall mural was completed in a record 2hrs and when PJ was asked how the chalks on the wall could be preserved, he just said, ‘Use hairspray!'
And if you've missed it there, you have one more chance to catch it in Ireland before it heads back to Switzerland. Hurry to Wexford Town Library where it will be hosted until the end of April.
"International, Inspirational and Necessary"
IBBY Ireland President Jane O'Hanlon talks about the goals and missions of IBBY Ireland.
Collection Highlights: One by Sarah Crossan
The IBBY Collection of outstanding books for and about young people with disabilities has arrived in Glenveagh School, Belfast where it will remain until the 13th March before a one-day stopover in Queens University on 14th March .
Sarah Crossan's verse novel One is top pick this week, with two students from Kylemore College in Ballyfermot and IBBY Ireland's secretary Joseph Peelo telling us why.
Joseph says: 'Here is a book that really opens up the minds of readers to the possibilities of other types of lives and how we are all human when we tell our stories.'
And the students who picked the book from his library have more to say: 'I really liked the way it was written. The poems make it so much easier to read and I never would have read a book that size before.'
This comment from another student sums it all up neatly: 'I didn’t know they wrote books about things like that.'
A World at their Fingertips
Above: From Morgh-e Sorkh-e Pa Kootah (The Little Red Hen) by Setareh Eghtedari and Parvin Dowlatabadi (text), and Badbadak Tactile Group (tactile adaptation), Iran. In this adaptation of a classic tale, Braille on each page and a variety of textures offer a tactile experience for children who are blind or have low vision.
Primary school pupils have been feeling their way through the IBBY Special Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities. In an IBBY Ireland workshop to accompany the exhibition on its tour of Irish libraries, the children are discovering new ways of reading, from Braille to pictures to pop-up, and making sense of stories presented in different languages and media.
After browsing the exhibition of 50 books in more than 20 languages, pupils then imagine a world in which one sense – sight – is missing. They put their hands in bags or boxes filled with different materials. Without knowing the content, they use bright pastels and large sheets of paper to translate the texture into a picture or pattern. What colour is it? Does it conjure a bright, cheerful scene or a dark pattern? What memory does it recall: walking on the beach, baking a cake, riding a bicycle on a windy day? All these interpretations and more – sometimes from the same texture – enable children to explore creatively the world of those facing sensory challenges.
As Einstein put it: ‘Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’
Collection Highlights: Un Hueco (A Hole) by Yael Frankel
The IBBY Collection of outstanding books for and about young people with disabilities has arrived in Clondalkin Library. You can catch it there until Monday 5 March.
To celebrate this new leg of the tour, here is Committee Member Tatyana Feeney's top pick: Un Hueco (A Hole) by Yael Frankel from Argentina.
Tatyana says:
"The book I have chosen is Number 17 in the collection, Un Hueco (A Hole). What appeals to me about this book is the simplicity not only of the illustrations, but of the concept. A hole inside is a perfect way to describe grief, and this book shows the hole with such simple, yet sophisticated, illustrations that even the youngest readers can understand the feelings the hole represents.
This is a book that could prompt conversations and possibly make discussion easier for even the youngest children who may have suffered a loss."
Collection Highlights: Les Chiens by Bastien Contraire
The IBBY Collection of outstanding books for and about young people with disabilities has arrived in Leixlip Library. You can catch it there until Monday 26 February.
To whet your appetite, here is committee member Debbie Thomas's special pick from the collection: LES CHIENS (contraires) THE DOGS (opposites)
Debbie says:
Long and short, asleep and awake, wide-eyed and sneaky – dogs are everywhere in this brilliantly simple and hilarious French language book of opposites. Bright colours and eyes to die for draw in both confident and struggling readers, and the smartly-placed flaps are just begging to be flapped. A triumph of design, wit and accessibility to children with learning challenges, and an unforgettable French vocabulary guide for mainstream readers.
Paris, France: Editions Sarbacane 2016 -- 18 pages ISBN 978-2-84865-854-4