From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Early in the morning of her eighth birthday, Brigid discovers Patrick Victorious Wellington Right-Handed O'Reilly in the family carrot patch, and the fun begins. Paddy delightfully fulfills some of readers' expectations about leprechauns (pipe smoking and whiskey drinking among them), while exposing others as complete blarney (for example, no self-respecting lep wears black boots with big silver buckles--at least not in this century!). The gregarious creature can communicate with the animals, opening a whole new world for Brigid and enabling her to become an invaluable advisor to her father as to the complaints, illnesses, etc. of the livestock. As winter progresses, Paddy begins to feel the weight of his 174 years; when he dies, he is lovingly mourned by a heartbroken Brigid. His final words are in the form of a riddle, leading Brigid to a trunk of antique gold coins. King-Smith has created a friendship of such true devotion that it seems the only possible ending. Several factors unite to make this early chapter book irresistible. The scene is masterfully set, from the beauty of the predawn Irish farm to the details of Brigid's birthday breakfast. Combine that with a magical friend, a chance to talk to animals, the threat of some crafty foxes, and the lure of hidden gold for a surefire winner. Don't relegate it to St. Patrick's Day alone. --Lisa S. Murphy, Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
When Brigid espies a leprechaun, it's due to a lucky combination of circumstances: she's an only child celebrating her eighth birthday--and she also has a hole in her boot. She and Paddy are soon close friends. He serves as interpreter for the farm animals (e.g., the rabbit wants Brigid to put something over his cage at night to keep foxes from staring at him); she delights in seeing his ``landlords,'' a family of badgers in the nearby wood, and brings him his heart's desire at Christmas, a tiny bottle of whiskey. Like the shoemaker's elves, Paddy is gone soon after receiving this gift, in this case because old age catches up with him: born in 1815, his span is complete, and in a touching wintry scene, an old badger shows Brigid his grave. But he has left a gift: following his riddled instructions, Brigid finds a real chest of gold in her own yard. It's the perfectly crafted details that give this simple story its charm: the ``lep's'' domestic arrangements, his engaging mix of magic and vulnerability, the small dramas involving the farm animals, the amiable dialogue, the unique friendship. Parkins's cross-hatched pen drawings are also unusually felicitous, depicting Paddy as similar to a cheery little Danish troll and quietly evoking the Irish setting. Warm, imaginative, and (again) grounded in the author's good sense and real knowledge of field and farm. (Fiction. 6-11) --
Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
