Irish Fairy Tales and Legends [Hardcover]

Una Leavy (Author), Susan Field (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Ageless tales of leprechauns and fairies--passed down through the centuries--come to life in this beautifully illustrated book. This varied collection includes ten of the best-loved traditional Irish stories retold by author and poet Una Leavy. Illustrations inspired by ancient Celtic art and culture capture the wild and windswept Irish landscape. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?Leavy has selected 10 stories from the rich and prolific melange of Irish folklore and rewritten them in a simple yet literary style that still reflects the Irish charm and mystique. These are stories of wonder, some dating back as far as 2000 years, with a host of majestic heroes, fairies, giants, and leprechauns living out comedic and tragic themes of honesty and deceit, good vs. evil, love and happiness, bravery and strength. In "The Children of Lir," the King's second marriage to wicked, jealous Aoife results in the transformation of his beloved children into swans. In "The Giant's Causeway," Fionn's wife Blaithin conquers and cleverly outsmarts the giant Fathach Mor in a man's world. A couple of stories fall a bit flat at the end. However, for the most part, the pathos and humor of each story is well expressed. Leavy has eliminated some of the violence found in the originals and kept to the basic premise and concept. Each selection is carefully documented. Most compare well with versions in Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, edited by William Butler Yeats, (Modern Library, 1994) and Sean O'Sullivan's The Folklore of Ireland (Hasting House, 1975; o.p.). A helpful pronunciation guide is provided for those difficult Irish names. Field's full-color paintings in varied sizes accentuate the basic scenes in each story. A good collection for folklore shelves.?Rita Soltan, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. Of these 10 legends culled from Irish folklore, some have their origins in a rich oral tradition dating back 2,000 years. Others are "merely" hundreds of years old. All are told by Leavy with a vibrancy that brings them to life for another generation of readers and listeners, introducing them to the brave Irish heroes Cuchulainn and the Red Branch Knights and to Fionn Mac Cumhail and the Fianna. Another hero is the leprechaun in "The Pot of Gold," who cunningly outsmarts a lazy and mean-spirited farmer. There are background notes for each story, followed by a pronunciation guide at the book's conclusion. Leavy's talented storytelling is enhanced by Susan Field's inspired and intensely colored artwork. Scenes from the tales are composed from perspectives that draw readers into the action, and motifs from the Celtic tradition further decorate the pages. Lovely to look at and exciting to read, this collection is a memorable addition to folklore shelves. Ellen Mandel

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Roberts Rinehart Pub (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570981779
• ISBN-13: 978-1570981777
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,021,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most complete, detailed and fun book of Irish tales, November 3, 1999

By 

"jamesjamesjames" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Fairy Tales and Legends (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book for teaching about Irish legends and fairy tales. The tales are longer and more complete - i.e. Tir na n-Og starts with Niamh suffered a curse by her father, and the only way to remove the curse was to marry a son of Fionn Mac Cumhail, the story then continues with the traditional story. There are more stories in this book than I've found in any other Irish fairy tale books (three alone with Fionn Mac Cumhail). Uses very traditional Irish spelling, and comes complete with pronunciation guide. From the O'Brien Press in Dublin.