“Knowing children are enjoying my books and connecting with the characters makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Primary school teacher and children’s author Joe Richardson
Alongside marking books each evening, Belfast primary school teacher Joe Richardson also spends his time creating them.
The award-winning children’s author is celebrating the release of his fourth novel, Operation Hot Chocolate, a festive mystery packed with humour, adventure and Christmas chaos.
“Writing is a bug I simply can’t shake,” Joe said. “I thoroughly enjoy the process of sitting down and crafting a chapter, but it’s the feedback from readers that keeps me motivated. Knowing children are enjoying my books and connecting with the characters makes all the hard work worthwhile.
“The feedback from readers has blown me away. I love this new story, and I’m so pleased it’s now out in the world and in the hands of readers.”
Joe’s latest book follows his successful Animal in Amy series. He’s been fortunate to earn a few accolades during his writing journey. The Animal in Amy books won a silver medal at the Wishing Shelf Book Awards and were finalists in the CAP Irish Author Awards for two consecutive years.
Joe has teamed up again with illustrator Roisin Bradley. The North Belfast illustrator has been bringing Joe’s stories to life for the last four years. Her unique style, attention to detail, and phenomenal ability to bring scenes and characters to life leave readers in awe of every drawing throughout the book. Together, Joe and Roisin carefully selected the best parts of the story to illustrate, picked a Dyslexia- friendly text font, size, and spacing, and elected for an off-white page colour, making the story accessible to every reader.
Joe says the idea for Operation Hot Chocolate grew from his love of classic adventure stories and his daily experience working with children in the classroom.
“Children have incredible imaginations. They can turn the smallest mystery into a grand adventure. Johnny and Declan are exactly the kind of characters who see excitement where everyone else sees ordinary life.”
Aimed at readers aged 8 to 12, Operation Hot Chocolate follows ten-year-old best friends Johnny O’Neill and Declan Cunningham, who dream of adventure, but real life usually provides only school embarrassments and family chaos.
That changes the moment a strange new “Winter Warmers” hotchocolate van storms into their estate—driven by a six-foot-tall elf with sideburns, a temper and a habit of nearly mowing children down.
Johnny and Declan become convinced they’ve uncovered a criminal mastermind. They believe Aaron, the van man, is turning children into cats and stealing Christmas presents from local homes. Fuelled by nerves, imagination, and enthusiasm, the boys launch their own undercover operation.
The result is a heartwarming, hilarious festive adventure that celebrates friendship, imagination, and the chaos that unfolds when children decide to take matters into their own hands.
Alongside writing, Joe regularly visits schools across Northern Ireland to deliver assemblies and workshops designed to inspire a love of reading, support positive mental health, and encourage creativity through storytelling. He is embarking on a Tuesdays Tour in January, February and March of 2027. A few selected dates are still available.
Joe’s books have found readers across the UK and Ireland, and Operation Hot Chocolate is expected to be his most ambitious and funniest adventure yet.
As both a classroom teacher and children’s author, Joe is passionate about helping children discover the joy of reading and proving that books can be every bit as exciting as films, games and social media.
Purchasing details are available at www.theanimalinamy.com.
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