Just in time for the holiday season, but fun for any time of year, this sun-soaked picture book is funny, charming and full of life lessons too.
Bunny is setting off on her annual holiday and has it all planned out: park the caravan well away from anyone else and put up the fence. As far as she is concerned, a break is best enjoyed alone. But even the best laid plans of holidaymakers can go wrong, and a (clearly very friendly) monster sets up camp right next door.
At first, Bunny watches – it's hard not to as her colourfully dressed neighbour enjoys himself – and seethes. But when the monster’s tent blows away, she makes the decision to be nice and her whole idea of holidays is changed forever.
Young readers will love watching this unexpected friendship develop and will revel in the way Bunny’s world becomes ever brighter as a result. Brian Fitzgerald’s characters are wonderfully expressive, each scene is packed with life and incident, and everyone will close this ready for new experiences and friendships.
As every year, Bunny looks forward to parking her campervan in a peaceful spot, and enjoying her usual routine of relaxing amongst nature - on her own. To her horror, she wakes up to find a noisy purple monster camped right next door!
At first she is delighted when a storm blows away his tent, but then she can't help but take pity on his plight, and gradually realises that doing things together can be more fun than solitude.
Brian Fitzgerald is an award-winning Irish illustrator who lives and works in the harbour town of Dún Laoghaire. His earliest illustrations often featured the sheep and horses that could be seen from his childhood home – a farmhouse on the Curragh plains. Brian studied at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin where he discovered his love for illustrating children’s books.
“Once I had my first picture book published I was hooked. For me there is no other type of illustration work that provides such sense of achievement. The journey with the author and publisher is a fun one and everyone’s input helps to create my best work. I love what I do and I enjoy the element of creative surprises during the process of picture book making. I’m reminded of the joy it brings to the reader when I add a new book or two to the shelf each year.”
Brian has worked continuously as an illustrator since graduating from NCAD in the early 80s. He has illustrated for newspapers such as The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal and for magazines, design studios, advertising, publishing and children’s picturebooks.
