Reading with my preschooler is a daily occurrence. I treasure my time with her, snuggling on the couch and exploring new worlds. Our reading time is also a time to learn about different subjects. I always try to find library books that talk about the seasons or an upcoming holiday.
With that in mind, I picked out a few books on St. Patrick’s Day to share with my child. Six of the seven books were available at my local library. One I ordered on Amazon (hey, you can never own too many books). All are appropriate for early elementary aged kids. Most are good for preschool aged kids, too.
Without further ado, here are seven St. Patrick’s Day books to read with your child. I hope you enjoy them as much as Gracie and I do!
St. Patrick’s Day by Joyce K. Kessel
St. Patrick’s Day is an easy non-fiction book to read to your elementary aged child. It shares the story of St. Patrick, who lived as a slave in Ireland, returned to England, studied religion in France, then returned to Ireland to minister to the people there.
It’s a nice synopsis of St. Patrick’s life, but it’s a little wordy for the preschool crowd. Still, if you want to teach children about the origins of St. Patrick’s Day, this is a great book with which to begin.
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
I’ve always been a fan of Tomie dePaola’s books, and Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland is no exception. This book gives a wonderful history of Saint Patrick at a kid-friendly level. To give you fair warning, though, dePaola does mention an incident where Saint Patrick’s chariot driver is killed.
I love that dePaola includes a brief synopsis of some of the legends associated with Saint Patrick. I also loves that he includes at the end of the book a personal vignette that tells when he first became interested in the Patron Saint of Ireland.
That’s What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting
While not necessarily about St. Patrick’s Day, That’s What Leprechauns Do is a fun book about Leprechauns that chronicles the adventures of three little leprechauns who are on a mission to set the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Emily Arnold McCully’s illustrations are colorful and very pleasing to young children. Children will also laugh as the leprechauns create much mischief, such as painting a cow’s hooves red and enlisting the help of a hen to play a prank on the hen’s owner.
My favorite part of the book is actually the last page, where the author writes a couple of paragraphs explaining what a leprechaun is, according to legend.
The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow by Sean Callahan
A leprechaun without a rainbow is a very sad leprechaun indeed. And leprechaun Roy G. Biv is that leprechaun in The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow . Roy G. Biv enlists in the help of a little girl named Colleen. Together they find objects in each of the colors of the rainbow, so Roy G. Biv can make a new rainbow and stop the rain from ruining the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The story is cute, the illustrations are colorful, and at the end of the book is a little explanation of how rainbows are made and the origin of the acronym Roy G. Biv. Of all the St. Patrick’s Day books we read, this was my preschooler’s favorite. She loves to pretend that she is Colleen and that the leprechaun is talking to her!
Little Bear Marches in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade by Janice Brustlein
Who doesn’t love Little Bear? Published in 1967, Little Bear Marches in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is an older book, but the story is very cute and will appeal to elementary aged kids. One rainy day Little Bear discovers his umbrella is magic: when he opens it, the rain stops.
When the rain pours down on St. Patrick’s Day, the mayor appeals to Little Bear to make the rain stop with his magic umbrella. Will the St. Patrick’s Day Parade happen?
Cut story, but a little wordy for preschoolers.
St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine
If your child loves alphabet books, St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet will be no exception! Author Beverly Vidrine takes children through the alphabet, Irish style. With words like bodhran, Kells, uilleann, kids (and parents) increase their vocabulary and learn a bit about Irish culture at the same time. I was amazed at how much I didn’t know about St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture!
Despite the fact that this book is a little wordy, my three year old asked to read it over and over.
Mary McLean and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade by Steven Kroll
Mixing historical fiction with a little leprechaun fantasy, Steven Kroll accurately portrays the life of an Irish immigrant girl in Mary McLean and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Set in 1849, Mary McClean’s family has just moved from Ireland to New York City.
After hearing about the legendary St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Mary wants nothing more than to ride next to Mr. Finnigan in his horse drawn cart. But before he will allow her to ride with him, she needs to bring him a shamrock. Her only hope of finding one is a leprechaun she meets in the park.
This story is more suited for elementary students than preschool kids.
Reading about history and holidays is an enjoyable way to teach young children about the world.
Do you have a favorite St. Patrick’s Day book? Leave a comment so I can look it up!
This post is linked at the Pintastic Pinteresting Party.