St. Patrick's Day in the Morning

Young children hear quite often that they are too small to do some things and this is the case for young Jamie in the book St. Patrick's Day in the Morning written by Eve Bunting with illustrations by Jan Brett.

Jamie is told by his family that he cannot participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade because he is too small to make it to the top of Acorn Hill. Jamie is determined to prove them wrong.

"It's not fair, Nell," Jamie Donovan said to his sheepdog.
"I want to walk in the parade, too. They say I am too small -
that I couldn't get to the top of Acorn Hill alone.
But what do they know?"

With his flute in hand, Jamie and his loyal dog Nell set off together to make their own parade while the village is still asleep. They excitedly greet the morning sun at the TOP of Acorn Hill.

The clever illustrations by Jan Brett are rich in detail but minimal in color highlighting the greens and golds of Ireland and the orange of the flag.

After reading this story in my best Irish accent with an Irish jig playing in the background, Emmy quickly got her flute and made her own parade around the house and up the stairs to the top landing announcing that she had made it to the top of Acorn Hill! Every time she did her parade, my camera was nowhere to be found. I guess a mental snapshot will have to do.

Another great book for St. Patrick's Day is Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato. Read all about it here.

Emmy has decided that leprechauns can be quite mischievous. See what they did to her milk!!!

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

Eve Bunting and Jan Brett make a fantastic team. Check out another book, The Valentine Bears, by this "dynamic duo" here.

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato

Every evening after bath, Emmy and I cuddle up and read from the stack of books that can be found on the floor next to her bed. Last night, in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day, we read Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola (for a previous post about Tomie

click here). This book really got Emmy excited about celebrating St. Patty's Day. She laughed at lazy Jamie and how the clever leprechaun tricked him out of the pot of gold. I am always in awe of Tomie's illustrations. His style is one of the most recognizable and for good reason. As a reader, you just fall in love with the faces of all of his treasured characters and Jamie is no exception. You will want to read this one again and again. Be sure to look for the dog and cat as they are almost always at Jamie's side.

On the morning of St. Patrick's Day, Emmy was eager to find out if a leprechaun had visited while she was sleeping. We snuck downstairs and this is what we found!

Emmy quickly grabbed the pot of gold and smiled at her own cleverness as she announced, "I outsmarted the leprechaun and took home his pot of gold!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!