St. Patrick’s Day: 3 Lucky Kids’ Books
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 3, 2010
From shamrocks to Leprechauns to fiddle music to the color green, these three books have St. Patrick’s Day (March, 17) covered. Oh, and in-case you’re wondering why people where shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s because regular rocks are too heavy. *drum roll—ba-DUM-ching*
St. Patrick’s Dayby Anne Rockwell (Author), Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (January 26, 2010)
This is a very kid-friendly explanation of what St. Patrick’s Day is all about. The story is told from a child’s perspective and is set within a school classroom (most likely a kindergarten class). The class is led in a discovery type learning experience and encouraged to make group presentations, which gives a very familiar feel to the readers. The illustrations are colorful and energetic—a good representation of this lively Irish holiday. A wonderful introduction to Irish traditions and culture!
Magic Tree House #43: Leprechaun in Late Winter
by Mary Pope Osborne
Reading level: Ages 6-9
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (January 12, 2010)
Magic Tree House is a favorite amongst early readers and fluent readers. This installment finds Jack and Annie on an Irish adventure that is fit for a St. Patrick’s Day read. The bother and sister duo have been sent on another mission by Merlin the magician. They have to find a girl named Augusta and inspire her to discover her hidden talents. On their quest to forfill their mission, they encounter many a creature from Irish folklore. It’s a very entertaining read—Magic Treehouse fans will not be dissapointed.
Magic Tree House Research Guide #21: Leprechauns and Irish Folklore: A Nonfiction Companion to Leprechaun in Late Winterby Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
Reading level: Ages 6-9
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 12, 2010)
A great companion to Leprechaun in Late Winter, but certainly a first-rate stand-alone non-fiction resource for learning about Leprechauns and Irish folklore. The combination of text, fun facts, photos, and illustrations make this an enjoyable way for children to gain knowledge.
Updated Post (March, 6) to include a 4th book:
Calendar Mysteries #3: March Mischief
by Ron Roy
Reading level: Ages 6-9
Paperback: 80 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 26, 2010)
A great choice for those looking for an introduction to an easy-to-read chapter book. The author, Ron Roy, is extremely popular with both kids and parents—especially the mystery book lovers. This particular instalment is about the luck of the Irish. Thumbs-up!
Leave us a comment: Tell us about your favorite St. Patrick’s Day book or activity.
Down by the Station: Jennifer Riggs Vetter
By Amanda Lynch, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 27, 2009
by Jennifer Riggs Vetter (Author) and Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)
Reading Level: Baby-Preschool
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (April 14, 2009)
What to Expect: Trains, Animals, Noisy Read-Aloud, Repetition, Counting
Stories that contain repetition and onomatopoeia are often great for early literacy. Such is the case with Down by the Station, a noisy and fun read-aloud book that is perfect for babies, toddlers–and anyone who loves planes, trains, and automobiles!
See the little puffer-billies all in a row
See the engine driver pull the little lever
Puff puff toot toot! Off we go!
The lyrical text easily turns the book into a sing-along, and the bright colors of the illustrations make the book an easy and fun read. Frank Remkiewicz’s images all feature animals, from the pilot duck and his son to the sea-faring turtle with his little one. I also liked the fact that the illustrations will be appealing to both boys and girls–too many times stories involving transportation are geared more towards the boys, but this book is much more gender neutral. The text is actually based off of a classic rhyme, but expanded to make it more modern for today’s young travelers. I think it would be particularly sweet as a bed-time story, for it does remind us that “everybody’s sleepy at the end of the day.”
Add this book to your collection: Down by the Station
Travels with Barrington Bear: Keith Szafranski
Travel, photography, adventure, and animals are what this series is all about. Barrington Bear is a plush toy bear who really enjoys traveling – even during winter when all of the other bears are sleeping. He travels with a suitcase, his favorite hat, and his camera. It seems that Barrington has a real talent for photography, the photos throughout these books are awe-inspiring. It’s pretty fun to think that a plush toy bear can truly take photos, but it turns out the real talent belongs to Keith Szafranski. Keith not only takes the photographs, he writes the stories, and even designed and sewed Barrington. Pretty clever if you ask me!
“Barrington likes traveling around the world and seeing new places. He enjoys making new friends and trying new things.” If this sounds like you, then I think you will truly appreciate this series.
Take a look at the publisher’s synopsis of the first two books from the series:
Barrington Bear Visits the Emperor – The Emperor Penguin That is
Hardcover: 48 pages
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8
Publisher: Small Bear Publishing; 1st edition (February 26, 2008)
Publisher’s Synopsis: Join Barrington Bear as he travels to Antarctica to visit and photograph the Emperor penguin, the largest penguin in the world. Barrington Bear has a real adventure learning about these magnificent birds. Join the fun as Barrington walks, talks and plays with the penguins. Learn how the Emperor lives in this frozen world and what it is like to be a young penguin in the land of ice and snow.
This is the first book in the Travels With Barrington Bear Series. Fun for all ages!
My notes: The text is educational, and includes a glossary page and an Emperor Penguin facts page. There is also a map to track the travel path that Barrington takes to get from Montana to Antarctica. The pictures of the baby penguins are adorable.
Hardcover: 48 pages
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8
Publisher: Small Bear Publishing; 1st edition (February 26, 2008)
Publisher’s Synopsis: Barrington Bear On Safari is the second book in the Travels With Barrington Bear series. Join Barrington Bear (a little stuffed teddy bear) on safari as he travels to Kenya in East Africa. Barrington makes a new friend and photographs many interesting animals. He even gets to visit a native village. Learn about life on the African Savannah. See lions, hippos, elephants and more. Lots of fun for young travelers of all ages. Illustrated by dozens of stunning photographs. Fun and adventure for everyone!
My notes: I love that words can be learned in the Swahili language. Jambo (jahm’-boh) is Swahili for hello. The attention to detail when it comes to photoshop work on the pictures is dynamite - I loved seeing Sokwe the monkey’s reflection in the side mirror of their safari jeep, not to mention spotting the cheetah in the view finder of Barrington’s digital camera.
Links: www.TravelsWithBarringtonBear.com
Keith’s website: www.mostlywildlifephotos.com
A review by The Reading Tub.
