Penny the Pencil is a children’s book about a young, determined, female pencil.

Winner of Childrens Books Ireland/Bisto Merit Award 2006

 

Penny the Pencil

Eileen O’ Hely

Illustrated by Nicky Phelan

 

After a summer spent on dusty bookshop shelves sticky-taped on special offer to a dictionary, Penny the Pencil is thrilled to be bought by 8-year-old Ralph the day before school starts.  Unlike Penny, Ralph is not looking forward to going back to school. He is a poor student, and an easy target for Bert, the class bully.

Penny feels sorry for Ralph, and as her spelling is excellent – having been sticky-taped to a dictionary all summer – so she manipulates his hand to make him spell correctly and gets full marks on his tests. This behaviour is not appreciated by the other residents of Ralph’s pencil case, especially the dictator, Black Texta, and Penny finds herself in a whole heap of trouble.

 

Penny the Pencil is magnificently illustrated throughout by Nicky Phelan who works with Brown Bag Films and is suitable for children age 5 - 9. The book is proudly supported by Faber-Castell, who are also executing a Penny the Pencil colouring competition across the country.  Penny the Pencil will be officially launched as a part of the Barboro Festival, Galway on October 22, 2005.

 

 

Author Information

Eileen O’Hely was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. After spending the whole of the nineties at university, studying languages and astrophysics, she decided she’d had enough and went to work in the computer industry. Ostensibly employed as a technical writer, Eileen soon found that the satirical observations of her workmates which she posted on her Icky Picky of the Day mailing list were far more fun to write and reached a far wider and more appreciative audience than that of her technical manuals. So she quit her job, moved to Europe, and spent the next two years sight-seeing in summer, pretending to snowboard in winter, and writing in her spare moments. Eileen currently lives in Turin, Italy with her husband Glenn and their collection of fluffy animals.

 

 

All rights available except Korean language

 

 

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Next in series to the Childrens Books Ireland/Bisto Merit Award 2006 winner Penny the Pencil.

 

Penny the Athlete

Eileen O’ Hely

Illustrated by Nicky Phelan

It is Health Awareness Month in Ralph’s school. The new arrival in the pencil case, Baron de Couberpen, is whipping the pencils into shape for the inaugural Pencilympics. But even before the Pencilympic flame is lit, the competition takes a terrible turn when Cheetah the Cheater almost drowns during training for the rowing race.

 

Penny has her suspicions of who is behind the sinister sabotage, and once things start to go wrong in the classroom she must sacrifice her dreams of Pencilympic glory to defeat her old enemy.

 

 

Penny the Star is magnificently illustrated throughout by Nicky Phelan of Brown Bag Films, who also won a CBI/Bisto award for his work on Penny the Pencil. The book is proudly supported by Faber-Castell, who are also executing a Penny the Star colouring competition across the country. 

 

 

Author Information

Eileen O’Hely was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. After spending the whole of the nineties at university, studying languages and astrophysics, she decided she’d had enough and went to work in the computer industry. Ostensibly employed as a technical writer, Eileen soon found that the satirical observations of her workmates which she posted on her Icky Picky of the Day mailing list were far more fun to write and reached a far wider and more appreciative audience than that of her technical manuals. So she quit her job, moved to Europe, and spent the next two years sight-seeing in summer, pretending to snowboard in winter, and writing in her spare moments. Eileen currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband Glenn and their collection of fluffy animals.

 

All rights available except Korean language

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Next in series to the Childrens Books Ireland/Bisto Merit Award 2006 winner Penny the Pencil.

 

Penny Goes Undercover

Eileen O’ Hely

Illustrated by Nicky Phelan

Having overthrown Black Texta and his evil sidekick Rubber, Penny and her friends can get on with helping Ralph with his schoolwork.

 

But someone is writing graffiti on Ralph’s school books and vandalising Sarah’s entry in the school colouring competition.

 

With help from Sarah’s pencil Polly, Penny goes undercover to find out who is committing these dastardly deeds. After close calls in the pencil cases of Lucy the Stealer and Seán the Chewer, Penny and Polly stumble across the lair of the evil culprit, and discover that it will take all their ingenuity to save not only themselves, but all the children in Ralph’s class from the evil plot.

 

'When Mrs Sword handed the test back,' said Jade, 'it had a big, green F on it, and half of the answers were missing!'

'So somebody rubbed out the answers,' said Gloop. 'First Sarah's exercise book, now Ralph's history test. Something's not right.'

'Who would do such a thing?' asked Penny.

'Only the evilest, nastiest, meanest writing implement ever to set foot in a pencil case,' said Smudge.

 

Penny Goes Undercover is magnificently illustrated throughout by Nicky Phelan of Brown Bag Films, who also won a CBI/Bisto award for his work on Penny The Pencil. The book is proudly supported by Faber-Castell, who are also executing a Penny Goes Undercover colouring competition across the country. 

 

Author Information

Eileen O’Hely was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. After spending the whole of the nineties at university, studying languages and astrophysics, she decided she’d had enough and went to work in the computer industry. Ostensibly employed as a technical writer, Eileen soon found that the satirical observations of her workmates which she posted on her Icky Picky of the Day mailing list were far more fun to write and reached a far wider and more appreciative audience than that of her technical manuals. So she quit her job, moved to Europe, and spent the next two years sight-seeing in summer, pretending to snowboard in winter, and writing in her spare moments. Eileen currently lives in Turin, Italy with her husband Glenn and their collection of fluffy animals.

 

All rights available except Korean language

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Next in series to the Childrens Books Ireland/Bisto Merit Award 2006 winner Penny the Pencil.

 

Penny the Star

Eileen O’ Hely

Illustrated by Nicky Phelan

Penny can’t believe her luck. She told everyone she was going to become a TV star and now it’s really happening! Officer Cool is Ralph’s favourite TV show and now Penny is to be his trusted side-kick, Officer Lead.

 

But someone has been tampering with the scripts and Penny has a feeling that the evil Black Texta is behind it all. With the help of her new friends Clapper the clapperboard, Ruby the make-up brush and Meg the megaphone, Penny has to give the performance of her life if she is going to stop the show from being cancelled.

 

‘Now, you’re playing a police pencil,’ said Clappers, ‘so you have to look authoritative. Try frowning a little.’

Penny frowned a little.

‘More,’ said Clappers.

Penny furrowed her brow harder until she looked quite aggressive.

‘Not that much,’ said Clappers.

Penny relaxed her face muscles slightly.

‘That’s it. Good,’ said Clappers. ‘Now, eyes up, and walk!’

 

 

 

Penny the Star is magnificently illustrated throughout by Nicky Phelan of Brown Bag Films, who also won a CBI/Bisto award for his work on Penny the Pencil. The book is proudly supported by Faber-Castell, who are also executing a Penny the Star colouring competition across the country. 

 

 

Author Information

Eileen O’Hely was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. After spending the whole of the nineties at university, studying languages and astrophysics, she decided she’d had enough and went to work in the computer industry. Ostensibly employed as a technical writer, Eileen soon found that the satirical observations of her workmates which she posted on her Icky Picky of the Day mailing list were far more fun to write and reached a far wider and more appreciative audience than that of her technical manuals. So she quit her job, moved to Europe, and spent the next two years sight-seeing in summer, pretending to snowboard in winter, and writing in her spare moments. Eileen currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband Glenn and their collection of fluffy animals.

 

All rights available except Korean language

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Takes on the medical community’s ‘hazardous’ use of medication in treating depression.

 

 

Depression: An Emotion not a Disease

Aine Tubridy and Michael Corry

 

Depression: An Emotion not a Disease calls for a re-examination of the scientific assumptions associated with depression and explains how the hazardous treatment of depression with drugs by doctors worldwide is only a band-aid, not a cure.

 

This issue has become an urgent health problem in Ireland. Last year one in five of the population was prescribed anti-depressants at a cost of 100 million euro.

 

The authors argue that depression is an emotion, just like fear, anger or love. It is the imprint felt after a stressful or traumatic experience. Depression is natural. It is not a disease process reflecting a change in brain chemistry.

 

The sick brain model of depression is a hideous and terrifying concept, as it turns those suffering from depression into cogs in a machine where, if they find the going difficult and want to disengage, they are prescribed an emotional painkiller and advised to carry on regardless.

 

Chemically-induced slavery has arrived.

 

Depression: An Emotion not a Disease is written by psychiatrists who see the full spectrum of depression, right

up to suicidal intent, and see the inadequacy of medication and the biomedical model.

 

Author Information

Dr Michael Corry qualified in medicine from UCD in 1973 and also trained as a constructivist psycho­therapist. His interest in psychosis and altered states of consciousness developed from his work in St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital, Dublin. In 1987 he was appointed consultant psychiatrist to Clane General Hospital.

 

Dr Aine Tubridy qualified in medicine from UCD in 1977. After working for a time in general practice, she trained as a constructivist psychotherapist and joined the Institute of Psychosocial Medicine in 1990. She has previously published Panic Attacks and co-authored, Going Mad?, on the origin of mental illness.

 

All rights available except Turkish language

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Make excuses or make it happen!

 

Making it Happen

Mark Pollock with Ross Whitaker

 

 

When Mark Pollock suddenly went blind at the age of 22 he thought his life was over. Gradually however, he realised he had the strength and the will to overcome the odds and to achieve everything he had ever wanted.

 

Mark then became one of those people who make things happen rather than make excuses.

 

Using the steps Mark took to over­come his own fears and obstacles, this practical, user friendly book seeks to motivate people to look at their own lives. To ‘feel the fear’ but to ‘do it anyway’.

 

He argues that taking responsibility for your own life is the first step towards achieving your dreams and shows how small steps can lead to big achievements.

 

Who better to be in control of your life than you?

 

Author Information

Mark Pollock is now a motivational speaker and has given public and private lectures in Ireland, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

 

All rights available except Korean language

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DARK CORNERS

Gerard Mac Manus

 

An “extraordinary life” – Sunday World “Enthralling” and “gripping” – Irish Mail on Sunday

 

 

 

 

 

As a young man in 1960’s Ireland, Gerard Mac Manus joined the Irish Army. This set in train a sequence of events that resulted in him: guarding Europe’s borders during the Cold War, patrolling the meanest streets in the world as a cop in Atlanta and going undercover in high-living and low-life Florida.

 

His adventures included nearly killing President Nixon’s best friend, not quite arresting one of the world’s biggest rock groups and finding himself responsible for the security of Yitzhak Rabin, against the latter’s wishes.

 

Mac Manus has seen more action and witnessed more pivotal events – from the Cold War to responses to 9/11 – than most would ever dream about. His life is an Irishman’s record of the violence, organised corruption, and compassion found in America and the west during the last fifty years.

 

 

Surrounded since childhood by literary and artistic achievement, but writing for the first time about his life experiences, Mac Manus digs deep into his dark times to reveal a powerful story.

 

 

Author Information

Gerard Mac Manus was born and raised in Dundalk. Having travelled widely throughout his life, he and his wife now spend their time between their homes in Asia and Europe.

Just published --All Rights Available

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How did we get from corsets and knee-length bloomers to wonderbras and diamanté-studded thongs?

 

 

What Lies Beneath

Women and Their Underwear

Helen Murray

Illustrated by Tanya Ling

 

 

 

The history of women’s emancipation has been mirrored in their underwear – from corset to wonderbra. Over the past 150 years underwear has changed from being a set of purely functional garments to become a symbol of female empowerment and sexuality.

 

Helen Murray finds out just what was going on underneath those skirts beginning with the corset which began its decline in the 1910s, right through ‘wasp waists’, ‘no bra’, ‘power-dressing’, and ‘underwire’ to today’s ‘have it all’ world.

 

 

Author Information

Helen Murray was born in Belfast and studied in London before pursuing a career in journalism. She returned to Belfast for the Irish News and then moved to Dublin where she works for The Sunday Tribune. In 2004 she was appointed Features Editor of the Tribune’s magazine, I. She regularly contributes to Magill magazine and has appeared as a guest panellist on RTE television and radio.

 

Tanya Ling trained as a fashion designer in London. She is best known as an award-winning fashion illustrator who has worked for many of the world’s leading fashion titles including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She has illustrated for Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton and Diane Von Furstenberg. Tanya was born in Calcutta, India and now lives and works in London. See www.tanyaling.com.

 

All rights available except simplified Chinese

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