The Little Album of Ireland
This non-fiction picturebook captures life in modern Ireland, giving snapshots of events and places all over the island. The selection of the scenes themselves is a great strength of this charming book; each one is carefully chosen so that we can all relate to them. Whether we’ve visited the exact place depicted, such as the English Market in Cork, or one similar, the text carefully avoids being too particular or specific so as not to alienate.
Through this familiarity of setting, it evokes the adult reader’s own memories of such places, and as such would be an excellent book to read alongside a child – while they hunt for the picture’s listed items, the adult reader can tell stories of their own experiences and of places they’ve visited.
Illustrator Tarsila Krüse populates the scenes well, with small references to the history of each place or its well-known characters interspersed naturally with the animals and items that are hidden for children to find. Additionally, a certain small character appears in every image, providing continuity to the scenes, well-hidden enough to make finding them feel rewarding.
