We were ‘lucky’ enough to find these fabulous St. Patrick’s Day themed books at the end of the rainbow…I mean at our library. Look for them at your library too or enjoy the free read aloud links I have provided.
Shannon and the World’s Tallest Leprechaun by: Sean Callahan was a great lesson in ‘the grass is always greener’ theory. Young Shannon, an aspiring step dancer, is frustrated that she cannot afford an expensive costume, wig, and shoes and feels she will never be a good dancer without them. That is until a six-foot-tall Leprechaun named Liam teaches Shannon that a good dancer is more than her fancy costumes and shoes!
Too Many Leprechauns by: Stephen Krensky was a cute, rhyming tale about how Finn O’Finnegan (the rogue and rascal) tricked the greedy leprechauns to stop them from making fairy shoes day and night as the racket of their hammers prevented the whole village from sleeping. Enjoy this tale with your kids to find out just how you trick a trickster!
The 12 days of St. Patrick’s Day by: Jenna Lettice parodied the old Christmas song- The 12 Days of Christmas. The book is a fun and holiday specific way to practice counting with your kids! You’ll enjoy shamrocks in a field of green, pots of gold, top hats, Shepard’s pies, lucky charms, green footprints, rainbow colors, green milkshakes, bagpipes piping, crafters crafting, step dancers dancing, leprechauns marching-whew! All the things required for the perfect St. Pat’s Day celebration!
St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by: Beverly Barras Vidrine was a cute holiday themed way to learn the alphabet with your kids. Filled with colorful drawings and fun Irish trivia you will enjoy it from accordions to Bodhran drums to harps to leprechauns. She even works in some Irish ‘zeal’ at the end!
The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow by: Sean Callahan tells of a girl named Colleen who is forced to partner with a sneaky leprechaun when he steals her licorice. The unlikely pair must collect up personal objects that match the color of the rainbow in order to make a new rainbow to drive away the impending downpour that threatens to ruin the St. Pat’s parade- the showcase of her grandfather’s bagpipe performance. At first, it’s not too hard to sacrifice a basketball for orange here or an umbrella for yellow there but when it comes down to the green penny whistle that her grandfather gave things get tricky! Can Colleen make the ultimate sacrifice for her grandfather?
Pete the Cat: The great Leprechaun Chase by: James Dean told another great tale of cute, big eyed Pete the cat. This time Pete hatches a plan to catch a leprechaun to help his friends who need some extra luck. In the process Pete discovers that his friends don’t actually need any extra luck- they just need help from their friend Pete whom they are already ‘lucky enough’ to know.
Lucky: The Farting Leprechaun by: Humor Heals Us. I had to throw this one in because it made my three-year-old giggle non-stop. Filled with fun illustrations of green gas clouds and toddler tantalizing words like fart, potty, and poop Lucky the leprechaun explains how he uses his talented GI tract to escape leprechaun traps. Not much of a moral, but good for a laugh.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by: Lucille Colandro. It wouldn’t be a book review if I didn’t include and ‘old lady who swallowed a’ book. Would someone get this lady a LINK card already so she can get some real food?! This time she’s snacking on daisies, clover, butterflies, pots of gold, coins, and even fiddles! In the end she barfs up a whole St. Patrick’s Day parade on her friend the leprechaun! Gross, but fun!
The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun: Loose at School by: Laura Murray was another book that put a new spin on an old idea. Rember the old poem about the gingerbread man- run, run, run as fast as you can? Well, this time the old boy is on the receiving end of the mischief. Only he can save his school and classmates from the antics of a naughty leprechaun!
Hope these titles helped you and your kids enjoy a few shenanigans today! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Cheers!
Love,
Marie
The thrifty-momcom 