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Máire Zepf has written 12 books for children, from picture books to a YA verse novel. Winner of the KPMG Children’s Book of the Year, the Réics Carló Award and a White Raven in 2020, her books appear in 8 languages worldwide. The Co. Down author was the first Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at QUB (2017-19). She is Artistic Director for Quotidian - Word on the Street.
About her series, Máire said, ‘Rita is a little girl with VERY big ideas. She has lots of adventures coming up in which she dreams up fantastical solutions to ordinary problems, often with hilarious results! Each book is based around a different character and centres on a new theme. There will be robots and dragons, ninjas, genies and a fairy godmother who will help her explore notions from fairness and order to the genderisation of clothing and emotional regulation.’
This zesty addition to Maire Zepf’s Rita series sees imaginative Rita discover that getting what you want isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that sharing experiences can be better than going it alone. “Rita has the best ideas. And she loves to be in charge”, which means she struggles when people won’t do as they’re told. Always determined to find solutions to life’s problems, Rita decides she needs a genie, because “a genie always does what you want, no matter what”. A genie also gives you whatever you want – a magic carpet, a golden palace, jewels – and, as Rita enthuses, “you won’t even have to share if you don’t want to”. True to form, Rita realises that her plan might be flawed. “Genies don’t just have one master, do they?”, and other’s people’s wishes might conflict with her own. Packed with energy and emotion, this is a great story to share aloud with toddlers who are learning about sharing. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
Dyma Rita. Mae Rita’n ferch fach â syniadau mawr. Hoffai Rita gael jîni fyddai’n gwrando arni bob tro ac yn gwireddu pob dymuniad. Alakazam! Alakazee! Zim Zam Alakazoo! Ond beth os bydd rhywun arall yn dwyn jîni Rita?
We’re big fans of Maire Zepf’s Rita Wants books here at LoveReading4kids — who can resist her infectious imagination, her unique perspective on the world, and the way she works through life’s problems (in this case, how to handle feeling cross)? With bold, engaging snowy scenes and a vibrant dragon conjured by Mr Ado the illustrator, this fiery, thought-provoking picture book sees Rita in a terrible mood. She’s having one of those got-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed-days, when “everything is wrong” — something everyone can relate to. Rita’s grumpy state of mind leads her to want a dragon. Like her, dragons are cross. They “roar louder than thunder” and “breathe fire, hot and angry”. Then, when they’ve roared themselves out, dragons can fly far away, somewhere they can be alone in peace. Thinking this scenario through, Rita decides she’d show her dragon how to breathe more calmly. Together they’d talk about “what had gone wrong” and snuggle up together, which is exactly what Rita and her mum do! This is the perfect story to share with toddlers to ease dragon-like outbursts and help them communicate why they’re feeling angry or out of sorts. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
Un dydd, mae Rita’n flin am fod pob dim o’i le. Mae hi am gael draig, am fod dreigiau’n flin – fel Rita. Mae dreigiau’n stompio a rhuo, ond mae Rita yn dangos i’w draig sut i bwyllo ar ôl colli tymer, heb greu fflamau.
Part of the stimulating Rita Wants series that sees an imaginative little girl figure out life’s dilemmas for herself, Márie Zepf’s Rita Wants a Fairy Godmother is great to read to together to spark discussion of the scenarios Rita finds herself in - scenarios many a toddler will relate to, with Mr Ando’s illustrations offering exuberant entertainment, and extra talking points. So many toddlers will identify with Rita at the beginning of the book - she “is still not dressed”. If only Rita had her very own Fairy Godmother, someone whose twirl of a wand could magically transform her into a dressed state! Rita then realises having her own Fairy Godmother would also mean Mum would never have to tell her to hurry, and she’d have “the most beautiful clothes in the world”. But, as Rita’s imaginative brain keeps whirring, she begins to wonder about the downsides - what if the Fairy Godmother made her “too fancy”? What if she gave her the wrong clothes (cue some hilarious illustrations)? What if she thought Rita could never be messy? On balance, Rita decides it would be better to dress herself after all. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
Part of the stimulating Rita Wants series that sees an imaginative little girl figure out life’s dilemmas for herself, Márie Zepf’s Rita Wants a Fairy Godmother is great to read to together to spark discussion of the scenarios Rita finds herself in - scenarios many a toddler will relate to, with Mr Ando’s illustrations offering exuberant entertainment, and extra talking points. So many toddlers will identify with Rita at the beginning of the book - she “is still not dressed”. If only Rita had her very own Fairy Godmother, someone whose twirl of a wand could magically transform her into a dressed state! Rita then realises having her own Fairy Godmother would also mean Mum would never have to tell her to hurry, and she’d have “the most beautiful clothes in the world”. But, as Rita’s imaginative brain keeps whirring, she begins to wonder about the downsides - what if the Fairy Godmother made her “too fancy”? What if she gave her the wrong clothes (cue some hilarious illustrations)? What if she thought Rita could never be messy? On balance, Rita decides it would be better to dress herself after all. Taken from the English edition, Rita Wants a Fairy Godmother.
February 2022 Book of the Month | Máire Zepf’s Rita picture books cleverly blend celebrating children’s unbridled imaginations with inviting them to reflect and empower themselves. In this case, while playing hide-and-seek, Rita is struck by a desire to have her very own ninja. After all, “a ninja is silent, fast and invisible”, a “ninja master would teach Rita the art of invisibility” - what better skills for a lover of hide-and-seek? Then, on reflection, Rita considers the fact that ninjas are sneaky, they like fighting, and they might even steal something (or someone…) she loves. So, she decides to be her own master instead! Sparked by the author’s classroom experiences, and illustrated with verve by Andrew Whitson (better known as Mr Ando), this provides plenty of thought-provoking fun for 3+ year-olds. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
Máire Zepf’s Rita picture books cleverly blend celebrating children’s unbridled imaginations with inviting them to reflect and empower themselves. In this case, while playing hide-and-seek, Rita is struck by a desire to have her very own ninja. After all, “a ninja is silent, fast and invisible”, a “ninja master would teach Rita the art of invisibility” - what better skills for a lover of hide-and-seek? Then, on reflection, Rita considers the fact that ninjas are sneaky, they like fighting, and they might even steal something (or someone…) she loves. So, she decides to be her own master instead! Sparked by the author’s classroom experiences, and illustrated with verve by Andrew Whitson (better known as Mr Ando), this provides plenty of thought-provoking fun for 3+ year-olds. Taken from the English edition, Rita Wants a Ninja.
Part of the refreshing Rita Wants series that sees a relatable, imaginative little girl think through and figure out some of life’s problems for herself, Rita Wants a Robot is wonderful to read-aloud, with Márie Zepf’s story boasting fabulous pace, and Mr Ando’s illustrations delivering a blast of boldness and textured detail. Facing with the problem of having a messy bedroom, Rita comes up with a solution. Surely having a “super-sorting robot” will fix things. Every time Rita makes a mess, mess, mess, the robot could simply sort, sort, sort! But then she gets to thinking - what if the robot didn’t know when to leave well alone? And so Rita re-thinks her idea and realises she’d be better off handling things herself. Alongside taking readers on Rita’s lively story journey, the book invites valuable interaction and discussion - would you like a robot? What do you think would happen if you had one? How would you handle a robot who didn’t know when to stop? Fun and thought-provoking stuff. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
Part of the refreshing Rita Wants series that sees a relatable, imaginative little girl think through and figure out some of life’s problems for herself, Rita Wants a Robot is wonderful to read-aloud, with Márie Zepf’s story boasting fabulous pace, and Mr Ando’s illustrations delivering a blast of boldness and textured detail. Facing with the problem of having a messy bedroom, Rita comes up with a solution. Surely having a “super-sorting robot” will fix things. Every time Rita makes a mess, mess, mess, the robot could simply sort, sort, sort! But then she gets to thinking - what if the robot didn’t know when to leave well alone? And so Rita re-thinks her idea and realises she’d be better off handling things herself. Alongside taking readers on Rita’s lively story journey, the book invites valuable interaction and discussion - would you like a robot? What do you think would happen if you had one? How would you handle a robot who didn’t know when to stop? Fun and thought-provoking stuff. Taken from the English edition, Rita Wants a Robot.
This first book in a new series about a little girl with a big imagination invites discussion of big themes (peer pressure, doing the right thing, being considerate of others) through a fun and freeing child-centred story. Writer Márie Zepf has a real knack for wry, warm-hearted humour, while illustrator, Mr Ando, delivers boldly energetic visuals readers will delight in. Rita wants a witch - of that she is 100% sure, for a witch would never tell her to go to bed, or tidy her room. A witch would never tell her to wash up, or do her homework. But then, as Rita imagines how a witch could, for example, turn her teacher into a frog, she begins to worry that her witchy dream might have a few problems. What if the witch scared her friends away, or didn’t know what to do if Rita fell ill? “A witch could ruin everything,” Rita realises, and so she changes her mind. What she really wants is her mum - a mum who sometimes dresses up as a witch! This satisfying full-circle story with a twist is great to read aloud, with every page inviting interaction and discussion. The series includes; Rita wants a Witch Rita wants a Robot Rita wants a Ninja Rita wants a Fairy Godmother Rita wants a Dragon Rita wants a Genie Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.
This first book in a new series about a little girl with a big imagination invites discussion of big themes (peer pressure, doing the right thing, being considerate of others) through a fun and freeing child-centred story. Writer Márie Zepf has a real knack for wry, warm-hearted humour, while illustrator, Mr Ando, delivers boldly energetic visuals readers will delight in. Rita wants a witch - of that she is 100% sure, for a witch would never tell her to go to bed, or tidy her room. A witch would never tell her to wash up, or do her homework. But then, as Rita imagines how a witch could, for example, turn her teacher into a frog, she begins to worry that her witchy dream might have a few problems. What if the witch scared her friends away, or didn’t know what to do if Rita fell ill? “A witch could ruin everything,” Rita realises, and so she changes her mind. What she really wants is her mum - a mum who sometimes dresses up as a witch! This satisfying full-circle story with a twist is great to read aloud, with every page inviting interaction and discussion. Taken from the English edition - Rita Wants a Witch.
