Customer Reviews

Tales from Old Ireland

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

 

 

The collaborative effort of author Malachy Doyle and artist Niamh Sharkey, Tales From Old Ireland is an anthology of seven folktales steeped in Irish history, culture, and tradition. Illustrated with carefree whimsy, they weave myths and legends about ordinary humble folk as surely as remarkable heroes. A pronounciation guide for names and a list of sources for each tale rounds out this excellent and enthusiastically recommended anthology for young readers bridging the transition between picture books and novels.

Really nicely told stories, with quirky, mesmerizing illustrations. Both author and illustrator are Irish.

Definitely worth buying - for reading AND re-reading!

This little book is filled with amazing, beautiful illustrations and entertaining stories. Anyone interested in Irish culture and folk-lore will enjoy this book. However, while this book is a fun read for older children and adults, the content of one or two of the stories might be a little bit intense for younger children, so be sure to preview the stories before reading it to the little ones. I especially like the pronunciation guide in the front for Irish names and words, which can be very difficult, and the reference page at the end that explains the origins of each story. Also, my edition came with audio c-d's of the stories.

My son enjoys this book and CD set. I really enjoy some of the stories, as well as the narrator's enthralling renditions. However some of the stories are a bit violent for my tastes.

How sad was I to find that several of these stories are rehashes, or just Irish versions, of stories found in other cultures, like Cinderella. No kid needs another version of that tired yarn! I wanted fresh, interesting tales that would entertain me and my kid at storytime. Unlike the other Barefoot Books I own, this volume is dull in color and the illustrations, though attractive, are not kid-friendly. In the soul-cages, the richness of the descriptions are not mined by the illustrator, who might be more at home designing corporate clipart. SO disappointed. The poetry book I bought from Barefoot is so lush and full of such unusual poems that I show it to friends who come over!

I love the pictures and a few of the stories. But I did not like the blasphemy. We feel strongly about our beliefs and this is not something I want to read to my child. I feel it is inappropriate especially in a children's book. I would not have purchased it had I known. The stories in this book are pretty scary for younger children. In one story a mother is thought to have eaten her babies when in fact the mother in law threw them out the window to the wolves. Then the mother in law smears blood on the sleeping mother's face to make the idea of her eating them real. Then the mother is almost burned at the stake, saved, and then the mother in law is burned at the stake. Not a happy bedtime story. My three year old loves most of the pictures, but doesn't ever ask to read it! Beware if you are buying this for younger children. I would not purchase this book again.