St. Patrick’s day is a such fun Holiday to celebrate! I love the bit of Irish culture it let’s me teach my children and the folklore filled with leprechauns and rainbows is so magical! When I was a child my parents celebrated with us by turning the milk green the night before St. Patricks Day so that when we got up in the morning they could tell us that the leprechauns had visited. We often had a “green” meal too where all the food was either naturally green, or dyed green. I got the biggest kick out of it.
Now that I’m a parent I enjoy celebrating St. Patricks Day with my kiddos. We celebrate by having some fun St. Patricks Day food (fruit rainbows, green yogurt…) and by reading! (Of course!) Below are our favorite St. Patrick’s day books to read in the month of March. I feel like great St. Patrick’s Day books are tricky to find so I really had to search for these gems. Each one is wonderful in it’s own way and I hope you enjoy them.
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“The Story of the Leprechaun” by Katherine Teen and Sally Anne Lambert- This is a darling story that tells the traditional beliefs of leprechauns by featuring a shoe-making leprechaun that uses a rainbow as a clever place to hide his pot of gold.
“How to Trap a Leprechaun” by Sue Fleiss and Emma Randall – This book is a super fun celebration of St. Patrick’s Day! It features a group of children who build a leprechaun trap to try and catch a leprechaun so they can have some wishes granted. The illustrations are wonderful and there are even tips for building your own leprechaun traps in the back.
“A Fine St. Patrick’s Day” -In this story two towns compete for best Saint Patrick’s Day decorations every year until one year a leprechaun comes and helps them to realize that teamwork and kindness are far more important than winning.
“Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland” by Tomie de Paola- This beautiful illustrated book tells the true story of Patrick and how he became the patron saint of Ireland. It includes some legends surrounding him too in the back that are so interesting.
“Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato” – My family gets the biggest kick out of this one. It is all about lazy Jamie O’Rourke and a deal that he makes with a leprechaun that results in an extra large potato and never having to work again.
“The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day”by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer- This one is so cute! It is about a couple of children who set up a creative “leprechaun trap” in effort to catch a leprechaun for St. Patrick’s day and hopefully win his pot of gold. My kids and I love this one.
“St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning” by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett- This heartwarming story is about a little boy who wants to prove to himself that he is most definitely not too small to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The illustrations have a classic feel to them and the whole book is bursting with St. Patrick’s Day charm.
“St. Patrick’s Day” by Gail Gibbons- This nonfiction book makes a great introduction to the holiday of St. Patrick’s Day because it tells the story of St. Patrick as well as overviewing popular ways to celebrate. It’s a wonderful resourse!
“The Lepreachaun’s Gold” by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole- I really love this story. It is about a kindly old harpist and how his willingness to help and be selfless earn him a little Leprechaun gold, just not in the way he expected. The characters, storytelling and illustrations in this one are wonderfull!
“St. Patrick’s Day” by Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell- This cute book features a bunch of students as they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day together in their classroom. The illustrations are so appealing and it has such a fun vibe to it.
“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover” by Lucille Colandro and Jared Lee- I’ll be honest, the “there was on old lady who swallowed” series has never been one of my personal favorites. However, kids seem to absolutely adore them! When I was a teacher these books were ALWAYS a hit and my kids think they are positively hilarious. Therefore, this one had to make the list.
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