Spuds and the Spider
by Séamus Ó Conaill (Gill Books, €8.99)
The President’s Glasses
by Peter Donnelly (Gill Books, €9.99)
Margaret Gleason
Spuds Potsofgold lives an idyllic life with his wife Rose Goodytwoshoes in the cosy surroundings of Toadstool Cottage, except for one nuisance – an eight-legged, hairy and googly-eyed spider called Leggers McWeb, who is in danger of getting “a good squishing”.
Spuds and the Spider is a story about unlikely friendship, why you should not judge someone based on their looks and how one good turn deserves another.
Children will enjoy this entertaining tale full of icky insects and talk of stomping and crushing, although it is quite heavy on the ‘Oirish’ imagery, with Rose baking shamrock pies while Spuds sits at a wishing well hoping for pots of gold. It is beautifully illustrated by Daniele Archimede, an Italian artist living in Ireland.
Another children’s book with outstanding illustration has now been released on paperback. The President’s Glasses, reviewed in these pages in December, was a Christmas bestseller on hardback.
Both written and illustrated by Peter Donnelly, it is the tale of a forgetful president and a pigeon that comes to his rescue. Short on text, it is a very simple story, but the pictures are stunning and really bring the cityscape of Dublin to life.