Fox & Son Tailers

A beautiful book anchored in a simply brilliant idea … a world where animals have no tails: call in the Tailers! Genius.

-- Joseph Coelho, in The Guardian

A beautiful story with a heart-warming ending ... and with foxes! I love it.

-- Chris Haughton

The fox gets a poor deal in stories. The scourge of every henhouse, not even gingerbread men are safe from his jaws, and the ‘sly’ creature forever doomed to take the bad-guy role in almost every fable and fairytale. Even though we may admire his intelligence, a vulpine character can never be trusted, for fear his cunning will be turned to nefarious purpose. It is delightful, therefore, to step through the doors of Fox&Son, ‘Makers of the Finest Traditional Tails’, into an elegant world of top hats and tweeds. It is, indeed, a tale of tails, and what fine bushy tails they are too. Young Rory’s father, whose name, by some strange quirk of fate, is Fox, is a tailer, like his father and grandfather before him. Animals arrive from far and wide to have their measurements taken and speciality tails of all shapes and sizes created to their own specifications. … Rory, however, is bored of helping his father to make the same old tails, day in, day out. He longs to put his designs for fancy, feathery, flamboyant fashions into practice but Fox is not impressed with such “silly things”. Despite his father’s conservatism, Rory sneaks into the workshop when everyone is asleep and continues to let his imagination run wild, creating “wacky ideas” for colourful tails designed to showcase the wearer’s individuality. The determination to overcome the scepticism of others and follow his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this uplifting celebration of originality, beautifully presented in vibrant hues by Antrim-born author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly

* The Echo *

like all of Paddy's books, is another gem. It's a beautifully published and produced hardback … There are so many parts of this book to love - from the heartwarming tale to the stunning, rich illustrations and the underlying message. To start with the illustrations, there is no denying how beautiful Fox and Son Tailers is! The pictures are incredibly detailed - there are so many little bits to look at and talk about … favourite was the double-page spread of the peacock wearing his new tail - stunning. The colour palette is rich and warm - perfect for an autumnal bedtime story. The message behind the story is a worthy one too. It's about the value of creativity, trying out new things, believing in yourself and so much more…Utterly lovely book, well worth a read to appreciate its beauty and warmth

-- @literate.littles

cleverly written and wonderfully illustrated, this is a must have … will have readers of all ages smiling

-- MyShelvesAreFull

I love Fox and Son Tailers … A charming story with detailed, witty illustrations. Age 3+

-- Sarah Webb

I’m suddenly a huge fan. His artwork is vibrant, playful and clever. “Fox and Son Tailer” is great and it’s not a spelling mistake. They make tails. It’s also a lovely book about creativity. Great stuff

-- Simon Smith @smithsmm

quite simply a charming children’s story …The writing is a mix of both prose and verse which adds cadence to this whimsical yet sentimental little tale about embracing your creativity and discovering that the people you know the best can still surprise you. Donnelly’s digital illustrations are wonderfully textured and inventive, there’s even a secret adventure if you follow the mice on every page. Another triumph of storytelling from the author of the captivating children’s book The Vanishing Lake

-- Irish Examiner

Paddy Donnelly’s new picture book will suit young readers perfectly. It celebrates the joy and importance of creativity, family love and relationships, and it has a particularly fine ‘what if’ as its starting point. Fox and Son Tailers you see, have been providing tails to smartly dressed animals for generations. Their shop is always busy, filled with birds and animals of all sorts trying on tails for size. Rory, youngest in the family, helps his dad in the shop, measuring the customers. Each spread is filled with bustle and activity so that you can almost hear the chatter of the customers, the opening and closing of doors and drawers. The pages depicting the fittings for the first day back at school is particularly hectic, feathers, tape measures and fluffy tails flying everywhere as little bunnies cause chaos … Donnelly’s digital artwork has a gorgeous textured, painterly feel that is just right for the story and there’s much to enjoy, discover and discuss in this story 

-- Books for Keeps

The fox gets a poor deal in stories. The scourge of every henhouse, not even gingerbread men are safe from his jaws, and the ‘sly’ creature forever doomed to take the bad-guy role in almost every fable and fairytale. Even though we may admire his intelligence, a vulpine character can never be trusted, for fear his cunning will be turned to nefarious purpose. It is delightful, therefore, to step through the doors of Fox&Son, ‘Makers of the Finest Traditional Tails’, into an elegant world of top hats and tweeds. It is, indeed, a tale of tails, and what fine bushy tails they are too. Young Rory’s father, whose name, by some strange quirk of fate, is Fox, is a tailer, like his father and grandfather before him. Animals arrive from far and wide to have their measurements taken and speciality tails of all shapes and sizes created to their own specifications. … Rory, however, is bored of helping his father to make the same old tails, day in, day out. He longs to put his designs for fancy, feathery, flamboyant fashions into practice but Fox is not impressed with such “silly things”. Despite his father’s conservatism, Rory sneaks into the workshop when everyone is asleep and continues to let his imagination run wild, creating “wacky ideas” for colourful tails designed to showcase the wearer’s individuality. The determination to overcome the scepticism of others and follow his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this uplifting celebration of originality, beautifully presented in vibrant hues by Antrim-born author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly

-- Evening Echo

The illustrations by Donnelly are humorous, colourful, and very detailed. The illustrations allow for plenty of talk and discussion. I would recommend this book for children ages 4-7. This story could also be integrated into a literacy lesson to help explore themes about families, animals, and encourage students to explore their own creativity through the visual arts. The story would be very useful as a resource to teach the reading comprehension strategies of comparing, connecting and creating images in the junior classes

-- Seomra Ranga

Paddy Donnelly never ceases to thoroughly enchant me with his picture books. Storytelling and drawing have always been an important part of his life and his creations, gifted to us through both his illustrations and his writing, take us on imaginative, quirky, heartfelt journeys into the world around us … A charming tale filled with wordplay and expressive pictures, this book is full of personality. It is a wonder that shows the magic of following your dreams and staying true to your own course, regardless of what others (even those closest to you) may think. There is also a solid sense of inter-generational family life; carrying on with traditions while adding that special something of yourself that allows for growth, change and well…life to bloom. With meticulous detail and clever twists of the brush, we visit an animal world not unlike our own, with a variety of creatures who have certain needs and expectations, all of which are met by Fox & Son. But it is Rory’s’ dream to offer something unexpected. While first met with a gentle “just do as you’re told,” Rory is determined and quietly perseveres. And it seems he was right all along…we need a bit of “different” in our lives! Quirky, fun, creative, joyous…and heartwarming. Fox & Son Tailer is utterly wonderful!

-- Fallen Star Stories

Paddy is a visual storyteller and the details in the illustrations through the pages where Rory helps his Dad in his shop are brim full of extra details that children will delight in. Rory is a maverick! He comes up with new and innovative suggestions for tails with bright colours, feathers, spikes and bounce! Rory’s Dad is unconvinced. Tradition is tradition in the noble profession he follows until a very important customer, Mr Peacock comes shopping for a tail like no other…will Rory’s imaginative ideas be what this customer is looking for? Honouring his Irish roots where mythical and magical creatures weave themselves into storytelling, Paddy’s new book is a gorgeous, colourful treat of a story! Reminiscent of the origin Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, I think you’ll love the satisfying ending in which an apology, a very happy peacock and a new generation of ‘tailers’ feature

-- Educa8Wirral

#BookOfTheDay, 5^th Sep 2022

-- ACHUKA

one of the most beautiful looking books we’ve seen in a long time

-- RTE Guide

A clever story with exuberant illustrations that are full of tiny details for young eyes to pore over. A real winner

-- Irish Independent

beautifully illustrated

-- Tuam Herald

a wonderful new children’s book that reimagines the father-and-son relationship and emphasises the importance of creative expression. Beautifully written and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly; the colours jump off the page as Donnelly’s prose weaves a vivid and fun narrative to be enjoyed by all families 

-- Jay Hall, Kennys Bookshop in the Sunday Times Ireland

this is a fabulous book, the illustrations are gorgeous … a beautiful book, I highly recommend it

-- Caroline Busher - Ireland AM

This is such a clever book, with wonderfully rich illustrations, and is sure to be enjoyed again and again

-- Irish Examiner

the story is clever and the illustrations are full of tiny details for young eyes to pore over

-- Irish Independent

such a joy to read … a real explosion of colour … The detail in this world that Paddy has created is brilliant, there is so much to see every time you read it and it’s a proper celebration of creativity and uniqueness, I adored this one … The colours and the style … absolutely gorgeous, you can imagine kids off trying to make their own tails by the end’

-- CBI’s Elaina Ryan on Here and Back Again

visually inventive and utterly charming

-- Woman’s Way

fabulous

-- Westmeath Examiner

a lovely tale about following your dreams and being prepared to try new things. Each page is beautifully illustrated with colourful and charming pictures which support the story with lots of interesting and often funny details to notice. There is lots to explore in the masterful communication of the various characters’ emotions through the illustrated gestures and expressions. This is a really lovely, fun story which will engage many a Key Stage 1 reader

-- Shortlisted for the 2023 English Association’s English 4-11 Picture Book Awards

I read this story with a first class and they loved it. It was perfect for this age group … The book served as an excellent catalyst for an integrated unit of learning. The captivating illustrations not only delighted the children but also prompted meaningful discussions comparing the past and present, especially the street scene on the first two pages. They also enjoyed the humour in the pictures, such as one scene showing Rory attempting to measure various animals for their tails, which sparked a lively discussion on how someone could possibly measure a giraffe! To foster creativity and descriptive writing skills, the class engaged in an activity where they imagined and designed their own unique tails, reflecting their individual personalities. They explored descriptive language to characterize the shape, size, texture, colors, and materials that could be used for their tails. This exercise enriched their vocabulary and encouraged imaginative expression. To integrate the story with art, the students brought their ideas to life by crafting their tails using a variety of materials, including felt, feathers, glitter, tinsel, fabric, pompoms, and even items like random Christmas decorations. This artistic process allowed them to showcase their creativity and individuality just like Rory did in the story. During our concluding reflection on the story, the children shared their favorite aspects of the book. While the illustrations, colours, and humour were all mentioned, the majority of the children expressed how much they liked the father-son relationship portrayed in the story. They particularly enjoyed witnessing the triumph of the son’s creativity in the end - Karen Doyle & 1st class, Scoil Mhuire, Dublin 18

-- Seomra Ranga

The determination to overcome the scepticism of others and follow his dreams pays dividends for Rory in this celebration of originality, presented in vibrant hues by Antrim-born author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly

-- The Echo

At its heart this book is a story of father and son navigating growing and changing together. There is such warmth in this story, brought to life through the almost autumnal colours used in the illustrations. Throughout the book there are many charming intricacies in the illustrations that enhance the story further. Readers will spend hours poring over the town of Ballybrush on the endpapers, as well as trying to keep track of the mischievous mice on every page. This rich tale about tails will stay with readers long after reading. Almost as long as Fox & Son Tailers has been in business!

-- Children's Books Ireland

The images in this book are engaging and exciting, full of detail and personality. They capture the emotion and energy of the characters, who really come to life through these illustrations. The relationship of Fox and his dad is real and evolves throughout the story. The importance of parent and child collaboration, understanding and acceptance is a key message, as is the need to keep hold of dreams and keep working towards them

-- justimagine.co.uk

charming … the illustrations are a treat, and Paddy Donnelly hangs an engaging little tale on it all too

-- Irish Examiner

Stunning … really clever … a gorgeous book … my favourite Irish picture book of 2023

-- Clara Maria Fiorenti

the very best in Irish children’s books published in 2023 ... For readers aged 3+ who enjoy a giggle there is lots to choose from including … Dodos are not Extinct by Paddy Donnelly’

-- R