Excuses, excuses

Did you ever use an excuse to get out of going to school?

My brother, sister and I once got a day off school after we convinced our mom that our taste buds were blisters. The Doctor thought it was very funny. Our Mam didn't.

Did you ever put a frog on your teachers desk?

No, I was too afraid of being sent to the Principal's office. But my brother David got up to lots of mischief.

Where do you get your ideas?

To quote Maira Kalman, "Ideas can come from anywhere," and they usually do. I also get lots of great ideas from my sons Aran and Rowan.

Where did you learn to draw?

While I spent many hours of my childhood copying comic book characters, I did not learn to see and draw until after high school. With the guidance of my friend and mentor Jim Doolan I took Saturday and evening classes from the very patient Dick Free and at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

A long, long, long time. I owe a great deal of thanks to Kevin Lewis at Disney who gave me permission to act out my childhood, and to my wife Catherine who let me doodle away the weekends.

What's your favorite picture book?

I have lots of favorites. They include Frederick by Leo Leonni, Horray for Diffendoffer Day by Dr. Seuss, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. But I especially love the stories of Brendan Beehan and Frank O'Connor.