[9] He was separated from his father for three years, who was taken prisoner during the Japanese occupation of Singapore of World War II.
Working freelance, they did not have to live near publishers in London, and ultimately moved to her hometown, Dalkey (just outside Dublin).
[16] His books include Amy's Wonderful Nest, Tina and the Tooth Fairy and The Supermarket Ghost.
[17] His other books include The Phantom Horseman, Dangerous Treasure, The Mystery of Monk Island, The Curse of Werewolf Castle and The Tex and Sheelagh Omnibus.
[18] He has commissioned and edited the collection Thicker Than Water on growing up, contributed to by Irish and Irish-American writers.