‘Farrelly’s writing and drawings never miss a beat in this well-informed and witty account of the Celts … with comic strips, guess-the-answer sessions, roll-the-dice-to-see-which character-you-are games, how to make your own games board or roundhouse ... Great fun!’
Children's Books Ireland Deadly Irish history, told through cartoons, tales of pointy-shoed medieval fashion flops, pig’s bladder sports, roast hedgehog dinners, and not forgetting the Black Death
Evening Echo the best of what has been an excellent series … a great book for kids of the right age and John’s superb art and a comic delivery, this is a volume that will delight comic fans of any age
Down the Tubes Continuing on the author’s tremendous tradition, The Normans leaps right into action with a mixture of facts, cartoons and jokes. There are plenty of activities and quizzes to compliment the funny cartoons and hands-on crafting activities … Children from 10 years old will be amused by the comical story-telling and illustrations on each of the pages. Learning about and reading these fun facts and cartoons can explain the history of Ireland and the people who lived in it all those years ago in a very child-friendly way. Farrelly has done his research on these fun facts and outlandish stories about the Normans which includes a daring fable aptly called Seamus the Sinister Swordsman. It deals with important people and events such as Strongbow and the Norman invasion and gives a general indication of medieval life in Ireland. It illustrates how the everyday people lived, played, and what their jobs and trades, i.e. from the castle builders, chandlers, weavers, millers, to the leech collectors, medicine women and spit-boys! This fantastic book also shows us the interesting medieval fashions and how a castle was constructed … finely illustrated drawings and interactive puzzles, searches, true and false features and many stimulating Deadly! crafts, i.e. assemble your own castle, shield, sword and even crossbow! There is even a Norman recipe for roast hedgehog for tea! - Julie Anne De Brun, Co Galway
InTouch entertaining and comprehensive book on The Normans … dynamic and fun … laugh yourself silly
Children's Books Ireland Reading Guide 2022