A WEST Cork writer and illustrator released his first children’s book, Stick Boy, while isolating in London home after positive Covid test
Paul Coomey, who grew up in Bandon and Crookstown, said it wasn’t the launch he had in mind when he started working on the project two years ago
‘But it’s still incredibly exciting to see it come to life,’ he said and he’s now engaging in virtual book tours and online Q&As while in isolation.
Stick Boy is written for 8-12-year-olds and tells the story of Stick, a child who struggles to fit in when he moves to a new town. It tackles themes present in every child’s life from fitting in, to bullying, to trying to escape from technology.
Paul’s idea for the book came from wondering what the world is like for a child who can’t hide their feelings from everyone else – what that means for them.
‘Feeling different as a child and figuring out where you fit in is different for everyone and can be tricky. Sometimes we hide our tricky feelings from other people, even people we love. I wondered what the world would be like for someone who wasn’t able to hide their feelings from everyone else – what would that mean for them?’
Paul has worked as an art director and book designer in children’s publishing in London for almost 15 years.
‘My work as a grown-up has mostly been about presenting stories in a visual way – whether that’s on a stage or on a book cover on in a picture book. Writing those stories allows me to push the visual side of my storytelling even further,’ he said.
