Children’s Book Festival enters its third week.
Chris Judge is an illustrator and painter based in Dublin. The Lonely Beast is his first picture book for children and was published earlier this year. 
He will be visiting Navan, Trim, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin libraries today and tomorrow. His 40-minute session will include a mix of reading and drawing. These workshops have been pre-booked by local schools.
From a review by Kim Harte
The Lonely Beast is the first picture book for children by up-and-coming Irish illustrator Chris Judge It’s about a solitary beast who enjoys gardening, reading, standing in the rain and baking. One day he suddenly feels very lonely and sets out to find others like him. His determination to find friends takes him on an epic journey over the mountains and across the sea and to the city where the people dwell.
The Beast is a solid, black shape on the page, which puts him at odds with his vibrantly coloured surroundings. The story broaches themes of loneliness and belonging which I think will strike a chord with children who are starting playschool or primary school and making friends for the first time. Judge’s work is strongly influenced by comic artists, particularly Herge, and this is a highly original debut from an exciting emerging Irish talent.’
