Our Big Day

Bob Johnston is the owner of The Gutter Bookshop in Dublin, Ireland. He lives in a small cottage by the sea with his husband Leon, a big black dog called Sasha and a cat called Molly. Originally from England, he moved to Ireland in 2000 and actively campaigned in the Irish Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015 and married his husband in 2016.Originally from Boston, Michael Emberley has lived in Ireland for 15 years. After writing and illustrating in the US for over 40 years, this is his debut Irish children’s book.Recent titles include The Message: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Text Message, I Did It! and I Can Make a Train Noise with Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick.He lives in an old stone horse stable in County Meath.

reads like a modern classic … simple and effective storytelling. The language is warm and feels familiar … equally comforting are Michael Emberley’s sketchy illustrations, which tenderly portray love and affection … of equal merit is the diverse host of characters featured in the story and the humour woven throughout the text. Our Big Day celebrates an Ireland to which I feel proud to belong