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Once Upon a Place
Laureate na nÓg Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series, has compiled a new anthology of stories and poems for children that focuses on the special link between story and place in Ireland. Lavish black-and-white charcoal illustrations by award-winning artist and picturebook illustrator P.J. Lynch will make this unique anthology a very beautiful object.
Once upon a Place features six new poems by Irish poets alongside stories from many of Ireland’s leading children’s writers including Roddy Doyle, Derek Landy and former Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson, as well as the first ever story for children by Academy Award nominee Jim Sheridan, director of My Left Foot, The Field and In America. It will also feature new work by Eoin Colfer himself, along with Pat Boran, Seamus Cashman, John Connolly, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Mark Granier, Paula Leyden, Oisín McGann, Geraldine Mills, Jane Mitchell, Kate Newmann, Sarah Webb and Enda Wyley.
Once upon a Place features six new poems by Irish poets alongside stories from many of Ireland’s leading children’s writers including Roddy Doyle, Derek Landy and former Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson, as well as the first ever story for children by Academy Award nominee Jim Sheridan, director of My Left Foot, The Field and In America. It will also feature new work by Eoin Colfer himself, along with Pat Boran, Seamus Cashman, John Connolly, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Mark Granier, Paula Leyden, Oisín McGann, Geraldine Mills, Jane Mitchell, Kate Newmann, Sarah Webb and Enda Wyley.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2015
3 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Eoin Colfer
155 books11.8k followersEoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.
He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the Artemis Fowl novels, Eoin retired from teaching and now writes full time. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.
He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the Artemis Fowl novels, Eoin retired from teaching and now writes full time. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 15, 2020
I received this book from Little Island in exchange for an honest review.
Once Upon a Place is a lovely compilation of short stories and poems made for children in mind, all set in Ireland, about Irish families and people growing up in Ireland and all embrued with some sort of magic that only Ireland deliveries. Some of the magic in this book is from fables and myths, with sparks and wonder - and some of it is the magic of the ordinary, of the peace in a quiet day in the Phoenix Park, and the feeling of being with family.
I really enjoyed the majority of stories in this book - my favourites belonging to John Connolly and Eoin Colfer. I think this is a great book for kids and adults alike, and is also full of some lovely illustrations as well!
Once Upon a Place is a lovely compilation of short stories and poems made for children in mind, all set in Ireland, about Irish families and people growing up in Ireland and all embrued with some sort of magic that only Ireland deliveries. Some of the magic in this book is from fables and myths, with sparks and wonder - and some of it is the magic of the ordinary, of the peace in a quiet day in the Phoenix Park, and the feeling of being with family.
I really enjoyed the majority of stories in this book - my favourites belonging to John Connolly and Eoin Colfer. I think this is a great book for kids and adults alike, and is also full of some lovely illustrations as well!
October 7, 2024
Oh geez. I finally finished this book. I almost read the whole thing a few years ago, but this time when I picked it up I really did finish it. I liked this book because of the little bits of magic in all the stories and the illustrations were very good, too.
February 25, 2025
Some lovely and magical stories and poems set in Ireland.
August 6, 2017
Reviewed by Miriam Wagner for San Diego Book Review
“Once Upon a Place” is a collection of Irish stories and poems, compiled by Eoin Colfer. One of the stories is about a boy who has been told all his life not to go swimming alone. But one day, when his parents are not paying attention, he goes out to the bay and jumps off the cliff into the ocean. When he comes up, the buildings around the bay are gone, and so are his clothes. As he runs toward his house, he notices new traffic lights have been put up, and old shops have been replaced with new ones.
You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.
“Once Upon a Place” is a collection of Irish stories and poems, compiled by Eoin Colfer. One of the stories is about a boy who has been told all his life not to go swimming alone. But one day, when his parents are not paying attention, he goes out to the bay and jumps off the cliff into the ocean. When he comes up, the buildings around the bay are gone, and so are his clothes. As he runs toward his house, he notices new traffic lights have been put up, and old shops have been replaced with new ones.
You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.
May 29, 2017
Eoin Colfer is the Irish Children's Laureate (or was when he put this book together) and the author of the Artemis Fowl series. During his time as Children's Laureate he has focused the role of place in stories and this book was one of his projects. It includes 17 short stories and poems set in Irish locations and written by 17 different Irish authors. This is a children's book primarily for, in my estimation, middle schoolers (ages 10-14). Each story and poem is beautifully illustrated by P.J. Lynch. I bought the book because it has a story by John Connolly, one of my favorite authors and one whose work I collect, even when it is only a story, as here, among may others. And Connolly story - The Bear - was one of my favorites in this collection. It is told by the younger of two young sons of a marriage that is having difficulty.
There are four other stories that touched me more than the others.
Abseiling or The Dancing Engineers by Siobhán Parkinson is a sweet tale of a story telling father and his two daughters. The relationship among the three is beautifully shown and the tale that that all three end up creating is simply wonderful. There is one exchange between daughter Sophie and her father that stands out: "'I don't believe this story,' said Sophie. 'Stories are not for believing,' said Dad."
The Ram King by Eoin Colfer is a fantasy story of the best kind. The daughter of the less than mighty king saves the day.
There and Here by Jane Mitchell concerns a young immigrant girl. She, her mother, the baby, and her older brother are living in one room in the "centre." Her father and two younger brothers are supposed to join them. Before leaving their country, her father told her to obey her brother and watch her mouth. Well, she has a hard time doing that! But she discovers that her brother, as she, needs a place to be sad.
Stream Time by Oisin McGann is definitely for older children. The opening paragraph reads: "So there I am, floating down a river in a small leaky boat with no paddle and only my corpse for company. It is a shock, I can tell you, to find yourself in a confined space with a dead body. It is worse to see that body wearing your own face." As the boat drifts down the river, it also moves through time. The dead woman's spirit or ghost loses her arm when she puts it in the water - it basically dissolves without any pain or evidence but with it lose she gains information, like how to speak English and what are the names of what she is seeing. I'd love to quote the end of the story, so you can see how good it is, but you'll just have to read it yourself to find out!
There are four other stories that touched me more than the others.
Abseiling or The Dancing Engineers by Siobhán Parkinson is a sweet tale of a story telling father and his two daughters. The relationship among the three is beautifully shown and the tale that that all three end up creating is simply wonderful. There is one exchange between daughter Sophie and her father that stands out: "'I don't believe this story,' said Sophie. 'Stories are not for believing,' said Dad."
The Ram King by Eoin Colfer is a fantasy story of the best kind. The daughter of the less than mighty king saves the day.
There and Here by Jane Mitchell concerns a young immigrant girl. She, her mother, the baby, and her older brother are living in one room in the "centre." Her father and two younger brothers are supposed to join them. Before leaving their country, her father told her to obey her brother and watch her mouth. Well, she has a hard time doing that! But she discovers that her brother, as she, needs a place to be sad.
Stream Time by Oisin McGann is definitely for older children. The opening paragraph reads: "So there I am, floating down a river in a small leaky boat with no paddle and only my corpse for company. It is a shock, I can tell you, to find yourself in a confined space with a dead body. It is worse to see that body wearing your own face." As the boat drifts down the river, it also moves through time. The dead woman's spirit or ghost loses her arm when she puts it in the water - it basically dissolves without any pain or evidence but with it lose she gains information, like how to speak English and what are the names of what she is seeing. I'd love to quote the end of the story, so you can see how good it is, but you'll just have to read it yourself to find out!
July 15, 2024
I thought this was a very well written and cozy book full of many different stories of many different perspectives. I enjoyed delving into the depths of Ireland and the people who inhabit it and reading about all the events that took place. My personal favorite story is by the author himself, Eoin Colfer, titled “The Ram King”, about a young princess who defies all the stereotypes that everyone has assumed of her. Overall this was a great book and I would strongly recommend it to those who just want simple, short stories to read.
March 31, 2021
A wonderful, diverse collection of short stories, poetry and illustrations that truly captures the magic in the mundane. Each contributor has achieved something special with their piece, with themes such as human connection, family disintegration, immigration, urbanisation, empowerment, and the environment (to name but a few!) explored across the collection. P.J Lynch's illustrations are such stunning additions that adeptly capture the magic of the stories in evocative visual form.
September 3, 2020
This was a gorgeous book. Each story and poem was filled with illustrations and was firmly set in Ireland. There were stories of modern day Ireland, historical Ireland and mythological Ireland. It’s a children’s book - I’d say best enjoyed from the age of about 8 - but they doesn’t stop one of the stories being bone chilling. That terrifying story aside, The Ram King and Stream Time were probably my favourites.
The Ram King is about a kingdom who fight a huge Battering Ram and hold a celebration for their victory. Well decades pass and no one has seen a Battering Ram so the kingdom becomes lax, all of a sudden a Battering Ram descends on the kingdom and it’s up to one of the knights to fight it off. He is promised the princess’s hand in marriage if he’s successful but the princess isn’t having any of that and sets off after the knight. I have a huge weakness for badass princesses so it’s no wonder I was drawn in by that story.
Stream Time focuses on a woman who has died and been sent downstream in a leaky boat. As the water touches her she gains knowledge (like how to speak English) but whatever part of her body touches the water dissolves. The story floats along the river and through Irish history along with the woman. It’s a peaceful story with an interesting viewpoint.
The illustrations from P. J. Lynch are fabulous and enhance your reading experience
The Ram King is about a kingdom who fight a huge Battering Ram and hold a celebration for their victory. Well decades pass and no one has seen a Battering Ram so the kingdom becomes lax, all of a sudden a Battering Ram descends on the kingdom and it’s up to one of the knights to fight it off. He is promised the princess’s hand in marriage if he’s successful but the princess isn’t having any of that and sets off after the knight. I have a huge weakness for badass princesses so it’s no wonder I was drawn in by that story.
Stream Time focuses on a woman who has died and been sent downstream in a leaky boat. As the water touches her she gains knowledge (like how to speak English) but whatever part of her body touches the water dissolves. The story floats along the river and through Irish history along with the woman. It’s a peaceful story with an interesting viewpoint.
The illustrations from P. J. Lynch are fabulous and enhance your reading experience
February 1, 2023
A beautiful Irish collection of poems and stories that encourage the power of PLACE rather than TIME to inspire and provoke imagination….my favourite in the compilation was The Pumping Station by Roddy Doyle.
April 5, 2018
This anthology was absolutely amazing! Great balance of poetry and short stories, with plenty of creepy and heartwarming moments (which are generally not together). A quick, delightful read!
April 9, 2018
I’ve been enjoying this wonderful collection of stories and poems by Irish writers over the past few weeks. It captures the sense of adventure and mystery I remember from my youth.
August 4, 2018
A collection of short stories compiled by author Eoin Colfer. My favorites were "The Pumping Station", "Bus Stop", "Beautiful Dawn" and "Number 13".
August 23, 2021
Irish author anthology
November 13, 2021
Loved the different story’s in it!
April 7, 2025
The Ram King by Eoin Colfer - 3 stars
The World's Greatest Detective by Derek Landy - 2.5 stars
The rest were a complete pass. Boring, dull, creepy, not at all engaging.
The World's Greatest Detective by Derek Landy - 2.5 stars
The rest were a complete pass. Boring, dull, creepy, not at all engaging.
October 27, 2021
Once Upon a Place is a beautifully illustrated and written book that is perfect to read to children and even as an adult. I thought that the idea of gathering some of Ireland’s most brilliant authors was incredible. I loved how engrained each story was within Irish culture. It would have been nicer to have had more stories set outside of Dublin, but that doesn’t take away too much from the book itself. This book gives anyone who reads it an insight into the writing style and the creative minds of some of Ireland’s greatest writers and poets and has a tale for everyone to enjoy.
October 25, 2024
I enjoyed this collection. Like Colfer, I love stories with a strong sense of place. I forget how much I like short stories.
May 3, 2021
As a teacher, I was always looking for new, contemporary, short stories that would grab and hold my students' reading attention, so when I saw this on the library shelf... I grabbed it!
It is an anthology of stories and six poems set in Ireland, compiled by Eoin Colfer, the Irish Laureate na nÓg. He has a short story in the collection, as do other famous authors who will be known to many adults and some kiddos.
Some are excellent, some are scary, some creepy, some are meant to make you think, and others are poignant and moving. I loved the short story by Roddy Doyle, and it fulfilled the "poop" requirement that all MG simply must contain! My son loved the last story, about a boy who saves a feral kitten.
The publisher, Little Island, offers truly excellent teaching guides (called book guides) for many of its other books, but not this one, so I hesitated to include it in my postings For Educators.
However, I'd love to hear from anyone who's taught the short stories and is willing to share their teaching materials with me.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It is an anthology of stories and six poems set in Ireland, compiled by Eoin Colfer, the Irish Laureate na nÓg. He has a short story in the collection, as do other famous authors who will be known to many adults and some kiddos.
Some are excellent, some are scary, some creepy, some are meant to make you think, and others are poignant and moving. I loved the short story by Roddy Doyle, and it fulfilled the "poop" requirement that all MG simply must contain! My son loved the last story, about a boy who saves a feral kitten.
The publisher, Little Island, offers truly excellent teaching guides (called book guides) for many of its other books, but not this one, so I hesitated to include it in my postings For Educators.
However, I'd love to hear from anyone who's taught the short stories and is willing to share their teaching materials with me.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
June 13, 2016
Just a gorgeous book to hold and read. Great to see an anthology of Irish writers that covers all aspects of writing and it is only enhanced by PJ Lynch's illustrations. Not only did my kids love it but I did too.
March 30, 2021
A unique compilation of short stories and poems. Although it was lovely to read works all written by Irish authors, I found some rather strange.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews