Mary Robinson: A Voice for Fairness
The much loved daddy-daughter duo that is John and Fatti Burke are back with a new book and they’re just as wonderful as you remember. This time in their Little Library series, the double act take on Mary Robinson: Ireland’s very first female president. The book casts a shining light on equality, as was the unifying thread in Robinson’s trademark egalitarian presidency.
The illustrations are bright and spunky, adding punch to the text and making it accessible to even the most reticent of young readers. You’ll find cameos in every corner and crevice—everyone and everything from Barack Obama to Dublin Bus grace the pages—the latter serving as a reminder that even a little kid from Ireland can go places.
It would be the perfect addition to any classroom as it touches on so many topical subjects: inclusiveness, climate change and Ireland’s relations with the U.K. to name but a few. Particularly poignant is the reference to the Troubles, which in the coming years will be a very important moment in Irish history for children to grasp; especially given that the complexities of Brexit and the border will no doubt to be a key issue in Irish politics and society for a long time to come.
