childrensbooks.ie

Children’s book authors

Short guides to the writers and illustrators behind the books children are asking for right now.

Behind every bestseller is a writer with a story of their own. These pages give a short, fact-checked biography of each author in the top 20 children’s books, link to their books and suggest where to start. Our portraits are original illustrations, not photographs.

  1. Jeff KinneyDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Fight or Flight, Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2
  2. Julia DonaldsonGruffalo Granny
  3. Jamie SmartBunny vs Monkey: Day of the Heroes
  4. Katie KirbyLottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas, The Seriously Epic Holiday of Lottie Brooks and more
  5. Donncha O’CallaghanDisaster Dad: Animal Antics
  6. Neill CameronDonut Squad: Destiny of the Donuts!
  7. Evanne Ní ChuilinnSquad Girls
  8. Leona FordeMilly McCarthy and the Doggy Daycare Drama
  9. Phil CorbettGhost and Toast: Slice to Meet You!
  10. Rick RiordanCamp Half-Blood: The Wild Zone
  11. Julian GoughRabbit and Bear: The Bog of Frogs
  12. Sarah BowieNina Peanut: Major Drama Alert
  13. Dav PilkeyDog Man: 10th Birthday Edition
  14. Cecelia AhernDetective Thingy Majiggy
  15. Tom FletcherThe Danger Game
  16. Matt OldfieldClassic Football Heroes: Best
  17. Liz PichonTom Gates Is Not Famous (Yet)

Frequently asked questions

Which authors are in the current top 20?

This page covers all 17 authors behind the top 20 children’s books we checked on 7 November 2026, from Jeff Kinney and Julia Donaldson to Irish writers such as Cecelia Ahern and Leona Forde.

Are the author pictures photographs?

No. Every portrait is our own illustration of a generic writer at work. They are not likenesses of the real authors.

Where do the biographies come from?

From publisher biographies, reference works, interviews and authors’ own websites. Each author page links its sources, and we only include facts we could check.