Tá Leabhair Pháistí Éireann agus An Post ag ceiliúradh go bhfuil 40,000 leabhar Lá Domhanda na Leabhar seachadta ar pháistí atá i gcruatan ar fud na tíre, díreach in am do Lá Domhanda na Leabhar Déardaoin an 6 Márta.
Le tacaíocht An Post, bronnadh na leabhair bhreise seo agus scaipeadh iad saor in aisce ar pháistí in ospidéil in Éirinn, in ionaid Soláthar Díreach, seirbhísí gan dídean agus pobail Lucht Siúil, ag cinntiú gur féidir leis an oiread páistí agus is féidir an lúcháir a bhaineann le scéal iontach a bheith acu.
Ar cheann de na leabhar Gaeilge san áireamh don ócáid tá 'Ag Buzzáil sa Gháirdín'.
Labhair RTÉ.ie/Gaeilge le húdar an leabhar, Áine Ní Ghlinn, ar dtús agus chomh maith leis an maisitheoir, Mr Ando.
Cé ar a bhfuil Buzzáil dírithe?
"Dírithe ar pháistí óna 3 bliana go dtína 8, má tá Gaeilge ag páistí, agus suas go 11 i scoileanna Béarla."
Cá bhfuil sé le ceannach?
"Aon Siopa a bhfuil teidil Lá Domhanda na Leabhar acu."
Cad iad na rúin gur gá a bheith in aon leabhar dírithe ar leanaí?
"É a bheith oiriúnach don aois, é a bheith spraíúil agus mealltach, geal agus ildaite agus an teanga a bheith oiriúnach don aois."
Sé Mr Ando maisitheoir 'Ag Buzzáil sa Ghairdín', conas a chineann sé ar ealaíon ar leith dos na carachtair?
"Finding the best character design for a story takes some time unless you immediately see a design through sketchbook thumbnails and drawings at the beginning of the search. Unfortunately, this is not the usual run of events and may only happen once in a blue moon."
"It is more common to spend anything from a few weeks up to a year to settle on a design depending on the brief, which determines the publication date if it's for a book project."
When did you first realise you could work as an illustrator?
"I realised I could work as an illustrator when I was around 16! My mum had a potting shed at the bottom of the garden with a glass atrium and a big wooden bench running along one side where the seeds could be potted."
"This soon became my art studio when my friends asked if I would paint their favourite vinyl album cover on the backs of their Wrangler denim jackets. I couldn't afford to buy oil paints as used by a proper artist, so I turned to using what I could find around the house."
JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY
"It wasn't long before I had a production line where friends ordered paintings for their jackets, especially when they went to rock concerts. At that time, I must have painted about 20 or 30 jackets of rock band album covers from The Damned to Iron Maiden."
"At this point, I thought I just might have a chance to be an artist!"
What tips would you give a budding illustrator?
"Do what you want, be influenced by others but develop your own styles and persevere to be the best version of yourself because if you keep at it long enough, you will get to where you want....It may take a little longer than you think, or maybe you will hit the jackpot right away....no matter."
"Just do it!"
Tá tuilleadh le teacht, mar a mhíníonn Áine, "Táim féin agus Mr Ando agus An tSnáthaid Mhór ag obair air leabhar eile."
Gach eolas fé dearbháin leabhar agus eile le fáil anseo.
