Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m not Irish (that I know of) but I’ve always thought the March 17th holiday was one full of fun activities like searching for ‘gold,’ wearing green to avoid being pinched, and, most importantly, learning more about Irish culture and traditions. If you’re looking for an easy, entertaining St. Patty’s day read, look no further than these adorable books below:
1. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer
Wing is a notable children’s book author, primarily known for her The Night Before series of picture books. In The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day, Tim and Maureen are putting the last finishing touches on the leprechaun trap! However, what happens when they wake up the next morning and realize they actually caught one…or two… or three?
Source: Amazon
2. Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson, illustrated by Katy Bratun
When Jack Mouse goes to visit his friend Sean in Ireland, he soon discovers he’s in for a joyous surprise as Sean happily shares the origins and history of Irish folk tales.
Source: Amazon
3. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Clover! by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee
Told in the classic voice of Colandro’s There Was An Old Lady series, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Clover tells the familiar tale of the old lady who, once again, causes a humorous domino effect after eating a specific food. In this case: a four-leaf clover!
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4. A Fine St. Patrick’s Day by Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by Tom Curry
Each year on St. Patrick’s day, two towns compete for the best decorations. Although when an uninvited guest rides into town, they may not be so ready for the competition….
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5. St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine, illustrated by Patrick Soper
Combining both St. Patrick’s day symbols with the letters of the alphabet, Vidrine’s St. Patrick’s Alphabet is perfect for younger readers excited to learn about Irish traditions.
Source: Amazon
6. Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy
Rabbit is super ecstatic about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, so he begins to grow green shamrocks in his big yellow pot a few days before the big day. But what happens when Rabbit’s golden pot of shamrocks goes missing?
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7. The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow by Sean Callahan, illustrated by Nancy Cote
Young Colleen is saddened by the rain because it’ll prevent her talented granddad from being able to play his bagpipes at the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Suddenly, a witty leprechaun pops up and tells Colleen that he has the power to make the rain disappear and replace it with a beautiful rainbow. However, Colleen must give up something that she holds very dear.
Source: Amazon
8. The St. Patrick’s Day shillelagh by Janet Nolan, illustrated by Ben F. Stahl
This children’s story takes a more serious approach to the festive holiday and tells the story of a boy named Fergus and his family’s struggle during the potato famine, as well as the prominence of the shillelagh, a thick stick of blackthorn or oak used in Ireland, in their family’s history.
9. It’s St. Patrick’s Day! by Rebecca Gomez, illustrated by Mary Morgan
It’s St. Patrick’s Day and children everywhere are excited to partake in the celebrations all around them. Young bookworms can easily follow along with this book full of rhymes and colorful illustrations.
Source: Amazon
10. The Story of Saint Patrick’s Day by Patricia A. Pingry, illustrated by Meredith Johnson
Pingry’s Story of Saint Patrick’s Day offers readers the facts and story behind the real life of Saint Patrick, and reasons why we still celebrate the holiday today.
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11. The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater, illustrated by Ethan Long
Join this quirky Leprechaun family as they organize and get ready for the much-anticipated St. Patrick’s Day festivities!
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12. Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day! by Joan Holub, illustrated by Paul Meisel
An interactive children’s story that offers ideas on St. Patrick’s Day crafts and goodies that teach kids about the history of the green holiday.
Source: Amazon
13. Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk
We couldn’t forget our furry friends! Tucker is a regular dog with the worst luck around. But when he wakes up the next day in a bed of four-leaf clovers, Tucker is in for a true change of luck!
Source: Amazon
14. Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick’s Day Symbols by Edna Barth
This would be perfect for story-time during a school day! Barth’s children’s book covers everything there is to know about St. Patty’s Day from the symbols, to Saint Patrick’s life, to the importance of its celebration.
Source: Amazon
15. Too Many Leprechauns by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Dan Andreasen
In the town of Dingle, Leprechauns rule live as loudly as they want. St. Patrick’s Day is the only day of the year when they seem to not be so noisy! However, Finn O’Finnegan has a clever idea up his sleeve that will make things a little more domestically peaceful.
Source: Amazon
16. Discovery in the Woods: A St. Patrick’s Day Surprise by Sandy Barton
Follow along with this exhilarating adventure story that may or may not have a small, red haired man or woman dressed in green hiding somewhere….
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17. St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
The perfect kid’s story that chronicles the history of the holiday, in addition to the life and work of Saint Patrick himself.
Source: Amazon
If you’re Irish, what’s one thing you love about being so?
YouTube Channel: TIME
Featured image via SF To Do
