Skip to main content

Books That Take You There: Ireland

By

Ireland is famous for its grassy green fields, cliffs, countryside views, and one particular annual tradition that is celebrated throughout the world. In honor of St. Patrick's Day today, I've created a list of books about Ireland. Learn more about Irish myths, legends, and culture with these titles.


Written by Stephen Krensky
Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007. Picture Book.

No list about Ireland would be complete without a book about leprechauns. Have you ever wondered why leprechauns hide their gold at the end of the rainbow? This book tells the story of Finn O'Finnegan, who returns to his village after a year away to find that it's been overtaken by leprechauns. He has to find a way to trick them into leaving without making them mad. This is a silly story that will work great as a read-aloud.


Written by Tomie DePaola
Putnam's Sons, 1992. Picture Book.

This classic picture book by Tomie DePaola, adapted from an Irish folktale, tells the tale of Jamie O'Rourke, the laziest man in all of Ireland who always sent his wife to the field to farm the crops. When his wife is unable to harvest the crops due to her bad back, he thinks they'll surely die. Luckily for Jaime, he stumbles upon a Leprechaun, who rather then giving him gold, gives him a seed for a giant potato.

Written by Susan Wojciechowski
Illustrated by Tom Curry
Dragonfly Books, 2004. Picture Book.

Every year the towns of Tralee and Tralah compete to see which town can dress their town up with the most beautiful St. Patrick's Day decorations, and every year the town of Tralah wins. This year though, Fiona has the best decorating idea ever, they're going to paint the whole town green! When a little man with pointy ears needs help getting his cows out of the mud the day before the competition is judged, the town has to decide if they would rather help the man or decorate their town. Kids will learn about helping their neighbor in this clever St. Patrick's Day read.


Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrated by Susan Mitchell
Marshall Cavendish Children, 2010. Informational.

In this picture book, based on a Celtic story told in Ireland and Scotland, there is an old woman who hates housework. She grumbles about every chore that she has to do, until a group of fairies hear her grumbling and decide to do her housework themselves. But after straightening up the house they decide it will be more fun to destroy it!


Written by Sarah Webb
Illustrated by Steve McCarthy
O'Brien Press, 2020. Informational.

Have you ever wondered what rhymes children in Ireland learn when they're young? Check out this book that will have some rhymes you're familiar with, and some traditional Irish rhymes you've probably never heard. It's beautifully illustrated which will make this book a hit with young children and their caregivers!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Library in the Woods

By
  The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Tumblebaby

By
Tumblebaby Written by Adam Rex Illustrated by Audrey Helen Weber New York : Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Picture book. I love a funky picture book. Slumbering Tumblebaby rolls out the door and into a wonderfully meandering yarn, thwarting scoundrels and coyotes, scaling unclimbable mountains, and even building a community center in Colorado City. Adam Rex's text reads like a folksy tall tale, punctuated by funny lines and rhyming chants.  Weber's colorful, round illustrations feel a little Fauvist, a little cubist. It's a sort of "Oh, The Places You'll Go!"  but in reverse - we learn in the last few pages that, in fact, that baby was YOU! This revelation made my young son gasp, which made me choke up.  Tumblebaby is a surreal delight perfect for reading together. 
Post a Comment
Read more