Beanie the Bansheenie

A best-selling author and an award-winning illustrator join forces in a long-form picture book that turns a familiar myth of Irish folklore into a universal story of love, perseverance, and friendship against all odds.

Banshees are well known to most of us as supernatural Irish harbingers of doom. But not many know that they grow on the prickly gorse bush inside little pods, and that the sole job of a baby banshee, or "bansheenie," is to bond with a human and know all there is to know about that person, including when they're destined to breathe their last breath. One bansheenie named Beanie, however, is no ordinary herald of death. When she sees her person, a little girl named Rose, she decides to change both their fates--and instead of delivering bad news, protect Rose and her family. And when her banshee's howl won't work, she must draw power and strength from the ancient secrets and hidden networks of the natural world to create a new sound, a new way of being in the world, that will change everything. Melding Eoin Colfer's welcoming voice and Steve McCarthy's striking Celtic imagery, Beanie the Bansheenie is a gloriously immersive, detailed, and emotional storytelling experience.

Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 11/12/2024
Pages: 64
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.9lbs
Size: 9.80h x 7.80w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781536240665
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/02/2024
Kirkus Reviews 10/01/2024
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2024

About the Author
Eoin Colfer is the New York Times best-selling author of the children's fantasy series Artemis Fowl. His other notable works include Three Tasks for a Dragon and The Dog Who Lost His Bark, both illustrated by P.J. Lynch, and Cloud Babies, illustrated by Chris Judge. The recipient of many awards, Eoin Colfer lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Steve McCarthy is an Irish designer, illustrator, and author. His early career was devoted to traditional animation and background design, most notably for the 2015 Oscar-nominated animated feature film Song of the Sea. He is the author-illustrator of The Wilderness and the illustrator of A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea; The One with the Waggly Tail; and Sally Go Round the Stars, all by Sarah Webb. Steve McCarthy lives in southeast London.