Picture Books Celebrating Irish Stories
March is Irish American Heritage Month and March 17 is St Patrick’s Day! Here at the Library, we are celebrating all things Ireland, and the talented Irish authors and illustrators working today. Here are a few of our favorites for youngest readers, from classic folklore to new and exciting titles!
Tales from Old Ireland
by Malachy Doyle; illustrated by Niamh Sharkey
This rich collection is full of short stories from Irish legends, folklore, and myths, and makes for a perfect read before bedtime.
Too Many Fairies: A Celtic Tale
by Margaret Read MacDonald; illustrated by Susan Mitchell
For fans of the fairy folk, the delightful book expands on the fairies of Celtic legend, who often promise to help but, as one older woman learns, are sometimes full of mischief!The Banshee
by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
If your little one can handle a gentle scare, The Banshee features the spooky Irish creature of legend, who may have come to visit the family of a young, brave boy—or has she?
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale
by Tomie DePaola
Amusing illustrations enhance an Irish folktale about Jamie O'Rourke who, after meeting a leprechaun and being granted a wish, asks for all the potatoes he can eat and finds himself having asked for more than he can actually handle.
Margaret's Unicorn
by Briony May Smith
Rich illustrations depict the Irish seaside, and a little girl falls in love with a baby unicorn she begins to care for.
The Longer the Wait, the Bigger the Hug
by Eoin McLaughlin; illustrated by Polly Dunbar
This titles has received accolades in Ireland and here in the states for its charming story of a hedgehog and a tortoise who are waiting for a very special hug!
St. Patrick's Day in the Morning
by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Jan Brett
When his parents and older brothers insist that he is too young to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade, little Jamie Donovan and his sheepdog, Nell, prove them wrong