The King of Ireland's Son [Paperback]

Padraic Colum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 1997

Noted Irish author's selection of favorite tales from the Emerald Isle, brimming with sly humor, whimsy, and imagination. "Fedelma, the Enchanter's Daughter," "When the King of the Cats Came to King Connal's Dominion," "The Town of the Red Castle," "The King of the Land of Mist," and 3 more. 9 full-page illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Padraic Colum was born in Longford, Ireland in 1881 and typifies the best of the Irish literary renaissance of the early twentieth century. His books for children have meant good reading to several generations and are as welcome today as they were when first published. He was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Literary Association in 1961 for his contribution to children's literature. He died in 1972. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486297225
• ISBN-13: 978-0486297224
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Fairy Tales
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Folklore & Mythology
  • #87 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, August 3, 2000

By 

Ginger Kimbark "Ginger Kimbark" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King of Ireland's Son (Paperback)

Readers of this delightful collection will discover that what initially appear to be seven different stories actually blend together to become tales-within-tales. The primary tale is a coming-of-age story of the quests of the youngest son of the King of Ireland. During the course of the quest, the king's son and others in the primary tale relate stories of their own. Characters from these secondary tales then appear later in the primary tale. The end result is a rich and complex tapestry of interconnecting histories and experiences as each character grows and finds out more about him- or herself. It soon becomes clear that for the central characters, learning the stories themselves becomes the goal of their quest. This in turn illuminates the importance of storytelling in the Irish tradition. A wonderful book which, if read aloud to older children before bedtime, will provide weeks of thrilling adventures with lovable characters.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adventure loved by both children and adults, February 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The King of Ireland's Son (Paperback)

Our child came home from school one day and excitedly announced that the teacher was reading to the class "the best story," The King of Ireland's Son, by Padraic Colum. After much hunting I finally found the book on Amazon.com. It is a beautifully crafted story full of rich images and detail. The charecters and environments come to life with a sophistication that children and adults both appreciate. My husband never used to like to read to our child at bedtime but now has taken over this role - because he loves reading The King of Ireland's Son. He says nightly after finishing a chapter, "this is such a great story!!"

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book!, October 14, 2004

By 

E. Jagoe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King of Ireland's Son (Paperback)

I read this book to my 8- and 4- year old sons and they were both enthralled. We've decided that it is the best book we've ever read, even compared with the Chronicles of Narnia or Half Magic. We're going to read once a year for probably the next five years! It's beautiful, thrilling, and even if you get lost among the many plot twists, it all comes back in the end, and the wandering is so enjoyable it doesn't matter.