Chris Haughton: ‘Children’s books are underappreciated in general. It’s short-sighted’

The new Laureate na nÓg on inspiring hope, combating injustice, and his upcoming court appearance

Chris Haughton. Photograph: Peter Guenzel

Sat Jun 13 2026 - 04:47 • 4 MIN READ

Congratulations on being made Laureate na nÓg . What are your plans for the role?

I want to get children and young people excited about books. So, we are going to create a showcase of the best and most inspiring books from all around the world. The books we get to see in our bookshops in Ireland, and in the English-speaking world in general, are only a very tiny slice of the children’s books being published. I have seen some of the most incredible international books over the years and I’ve always wished I could show them to children in Ireland. I think it would inspire them not only to read more but to want to write and create too. With all that’s going on in the world, books from other cultures are essential as they humanise and connect us.

You recited Loris Malaguzzi’s poem The Hundred Languages of Children in your acceptance speech. Tell us about it and the movement he was part of that helped inspire the Bologna Book Fair

During the second World War, Bologna was the centre of resistance in fascist Italy. After the war, the people set about trying to make sure the war would never happen again. In the villages around Reggio Emilia, the people, mostly women, began building what they called People’s Schools. This parent co-operative movement came to be known as the Reggio Emilia approach. Their schooling method became famous, and the regions around Reggio Emilia and Bologna became a centre for children’s learning. It is from this tradition that Bologna Children’s Book Fair emerged.

You’re best known for your best-selling picture books for toddlers (A Bit Lost; Oh No George; Shh! We Have a Plan) Do you have a favourite?

I think it would have to be Maybe… It’s got a bit of danger in it – tigers are lurking in the background – and it’s great fun to read aloud.

Are picture books underappreciated compared with text-based stories?

I think children’s books are underappreciated in general. In terms of sales and cultural impact, children’s books are comparable to books for adults, but in terms of reviews and status they are very much undervalued. It’s wrong for many reasons but it’s also short-sighted because adults will not be readers if they haven’t grown up with books.

You have a very distinctive style. How would you describe it? Who are your influences?

It’s very colourful and graphic. I studied graphic design, so that has been a big influence. I love the simplicity of Leo Lionni’s collages.

You’re from Killiney but live in London. Does that colour how you will approach the job?

In many ways London is the world centre of publishing. I’ve been very lucky to work with great publishers and institutions like the British Library while in London. I hope to use this laureateship to bring some of the best of these things to Ireland.

How do the Irish and British children’s books scenes compare, to each other and internationally?

I am often asked in Britain why it is that Irish children’s authors are so successful. I think storytelling is just part of our culture, the pleasure of hearing a story told well is just baked into us. However, if we zoom out to the wider literary scene, British and Irish books have a lot in common too – our sense of humour can be pretty similar!

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Stories are more than stories. Your editor, Deirdre McDermott, said: ‘They show us how to be’

Yes. We might feel jaded by all the injustices of the world but with stories we try to keep hope alive. Stories show us what justice is and isn’t. I think this process of telling stories sends a message of hope to the next generation, that we must keep fighting for justice. Stories go to the core of who and what we are.

Tell me about your most recent book, The History of Information, a visual timeline of graphics from prehistoric cave art to social media, and David Graeber’s quotation

The History of Information has been an enormous project. It took me 17 years to make. It’s the history of information technology but it takes a broad view of what information technology is. Language is an information technology, as is drawing, writing, print and so on until social media and AI. Interestingly, the history of information is also the history of disinformation. So this is also a history of propaganda and the manufacture of consent. Control over information means control over society, and this has been true in every era. I ended the book with a quote by David Graeber: “The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make and could just as easily make differently.”

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