Customer Reviews

Leprechauns Never Lie

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

 

 

Leprechaun's Never Lie is a delightful children's story about a lazy girl, her poor grandmother, and a clever leprechaun. Along the way to retrieve the pot of gold, the girl learns a lesson about what is important. The book ends with a clever twist and it is almost impossible to read without going into an Irish lilt.

Lorna Balian, Humbug Witch, never disappoints. Her stories usually infuse humor along with a message, and Leprechauns Never Lie is no exception. Ninny Nanny learns that it's easier to do her chores than to hope for a windfall, and the reader learns to never trust leprechauns. Heh, heh... I'm just kidding. This story offers a wonderful opportunity to discuss the importance of responsibilities, and why hard work pays off.

Balian's story is charming and keeps the reader engaged. Originally published in 1980, Lorna's daughter Lecia re-illustrated the book for the new publishing date in 2004. The daughter's artwork is more colorful, and appealing than the original. She has a unique style that's unusual for children's books. She uses watercolor to illustrate the book, but some of the images appear to be photographs, or computer generated. For instance, the characters are painted, yet the fireplace looks like a photograph that's been fused into the background. This photo-like technique is generally found in the backgrounds, which in this book is mostly grass, hills, and shrubbery. The tromp l'oeil style is effective and interesting to look at.

We have enjoyed this book the last few weeks, and since it doesn't specifically mention St. Patrick's Day it could be read throughout the year. Leprechauns Never Lie is a sure winner, and is especially effective when read with an Irish brogue.

Very cute with lots of darling pictures. The story wasn't too long or involved but was able to teach values along with an engaging story. My 7 year old grand daughter was able to read it and it kept the interest of the preschool grand kids.

I had purchased several books with "leprechaun" or "Irish" themes to share with my grandchildren around St. Patrick's Day. The storyline of this book was fun and held their attention, as this lazy girl, Ninny Nanny, and her Grandma are down to eating "rainwater soup" due to Ninny Nanny's unwillingness to do her chores. The one thing she is willing to work at is finding a leprechaun, because then he would have to tell them where his gold is hidden and they would be rich. Surprisingly, she stumbles upon one of the little men and she and Gram tie him, neck high, in a potato sack. He cleverly keeps Ninny Nanny busy looking for the gold as she, unwittingly, is accomplishing the badly needed chores around the place. In the end the leprechaun gets the best of them, but they have the fruits of Ninny Nanny's labors and are no longer destitute. An entertaining "wee folk" story that incorporates a moral as to the value of work without sounding preachy. You could use the book any time of the year to subtly encourage getting chores done, because there is no mention of the St. Patrick's Day holiday in the story.

The purchase I initially made was a used copy of the original edition. In that volume the art is all sepia-toned, except for the clothing of the leprechaun, which is very green. It is a clever approach, but I almost had the feeling that I was trying to get kids of this generation to sit down and watch a black and white movie. Once they were interested in the story it went fine, but at first they were hesitant. So when I saw that they had republished it with full-color illustrations I had to buy another copy. Lecia Balian has stayed true to her mother, Lorna's, original illustrations, she has just put in lush color, which gives a much richer, Irish countryside feel to the book. As another reviewer stated, there are a few places where the background detail seems almost photographic (maybe computer generated ?), and, in fact, detail has been heightened in many of the background scenes. This new edition is a visual feast and I am glad I purchased this book again.

I NEVER RECEIVED THE BOOK!!!! I GAVE THE REVIEW 1 STAR OR IT WOULDN'T ACCEPT MY REVIEW. I ACTUALLY GIVE IT 1 STAR. I NEVER RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE SELLER TELLING MY IF THERE WAS A REASON I DID NOT RECEIVE THE BOOK OR ANY COMMUNICATION. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY MONEY BACK OR THE BOOK.