Dolores plans family event for launch of latest book
Dolores Keaveney will mark the release of her 17th picture book, Huwie Meets the Red Fox, with a family-friendly event at Belvedere House and Gardens on Saturday 23 April at 3pm. All are welcome and there will be no entry fee for those attending.
Dolores will read from her new book and there will be activities for children and light refreshments too. “I’m delighted to hold my first live launch in many years, especially after releasing two books during the pandemic. I can’t wait to meet little readers in person and see children enjoying my stories again, which is what it’s all about,” says Dolores.
Dolores is famous for her celebrations of the Irish landscape. Her hand-painted watercolour illustrations and lively rhyming texts are popular with children, parents, teachers and critics.
Huwie Meets the Red Fox is the tale of two brothers who venture into a big wild field and the animals they find there. It demonstrates the importance of friendship and imaginative play. The story also encourages children to explore the world around them and connect with nature.
Huwie Meets the Red Fox is the follow-up to last year’s Huwie the Apple Tree. It is the second book that is both dedicated to and inspired by Dolores’s grandsons.
Huwie and his brother Austin are represented by matchstick men and their simple appearance allows every child to insert themselves in the story.
Dolores is the first Irish author to have a series of story walks located across Ireland in honour of her books. In October 2020, Mountmellick Library put together a trail for Dee the Bee. That was followed by another in July 2021, created by Kerry Library in Tralee Town Park. Westmeath Library’s story trail launched on the Mullingar Greenway in September 2021.
Galway Library and Kildare Library built trails in Ballinalsoe, and Newbridge respectively in March 2022. Galway Library have also used If I were a Bee, Dolores’s first book, as a Story walk in Westside Public Library Galway.
Belvedere House and Gardens will launch their story trail soon, and the Office of Public Works has a Dee the Bee story walk planned for Emo Court in Laois later this year.
“As all of my books are inspired by nature, it’s fantastic to see little people enjoying them while outdoors. Story walks offer children an entertaining tale and plenty of fresh air. Dee the Bee helps young readers understand pollination and the importance of bees and caring for the environment,” says Dolores.
Huwie Meets the Red Fox explores the wild world on our doorstep and is already gathering glowing reviews. Shelly Furlong, Creative Schools manager with the Arts Council, said: “Huwie Meets the Red Fox transports readers to a beautiful landscape where they can almost hear the birds singing and smell the flowers. Its special message will warm every heart.”
Mary Esther Judy of Fallen Star Stories has described the story as “simply wonderful” and praised how it “gives a genuine sense of childhood adventure.”
In 2009, at the age of 60, Dolores Keaveney published her debut, If I Were a Bee. Since then, Dolores has written and illustrated a further 16 children’s books. Dolores finds nature extremely therapeutic and that has shaped the way she writes and illustrates her books.
She hopes her stories not only capture the splendour of the world around us but help little readers to make the most of it.
Huwie Meets the Red Fox is available from Just Books in Mullingar and selected bookshops across Ireland. It can be purchased online from www.doloreskeaveney.com.
Dolores will also have free activity packs for parents and teachers available to download from her website.