Customer Reviews

The Leprechaun's Kingdom: The Irish World of Banshees, Fairies, Demons, Giants, Monsters, Mermaids, Phoukas, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and Many others

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is fun, informative, and quite enjoyable.

As mentioned in the title, this is a collection of anecdotes and short tales, with charming illustrations. Here are changelings, daoine sidh, water sheerie. Little cluricaunes who hide in your cellar and drink your beer. The headless dullahan. The magical land of Tir-Nan-Og.

While not a book for younger children, this book should be easily readable for people interested in folk tales or Irish legend. Each entry has a synopsis of the creature in question, and a short story, including such tales as "Fann MacCuil and the Scotch Giant" (about a wily Irish giant who takes on a well-armed Scotch giant), "Far Darrig in Donegal" (about a tinker), "The Werewolves of Ossory" (about a couple cursed to take wolf form for seven years, at the end of which two others take the curse), "The Amadan Mor and the Gruagach" (one of the stranger tales, about a man who loses his legs and gains them back again).

This book is full of illustrations, all of them in black and white. Includes medieval woodcuts, Victorian art, and contemporary art.

(Four and a half stars, rounded up.)

I first encountered this book when i was in the fifth grade. The book was available to be checked out through the school library. I have always been interested in these types of books (ie. lengends, witches, etc.) so when i saw other students fascinated with this book I wanted my turn to check out what was so great about this book. Unfortunately the book was so popular that it was nearly impossible to get my hands on. I had only been able to catch glimpes of what was inside. Time and time went on and soon I forgot all about the book. Then about two years ago i found this book on this website... i didn't know it was the book at first until i received it in the mail. I remebered it as the exact book i was never able to read when i was in fifth grade. I was very pleased. THE END...... oh... you want to hear about content.... whoops.... just thought i would tell a cheesy little story. Anyhow... the book is alright. Filled with mostly false information (it adorns leprechauns as the "little shoe makers." If you know much about leprechauns you would see where i am coming from)it does although skim the surface of whats going on in the land of the fae. I personally enjoyed the book despite of the misinformation.... lots of strange stories and great illustrations.