Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols - Hardcover

Barth, Edna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618096493 ISBN 13: 9780618096497

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2001

Synopsis

Shamrocks, shillelaghs, reed pipes, and leprechaunsthese are some of the many symbols that remind us of St. Patrick's Day. Who was St. Patrick? And what is this early spring holiday all about? With warmth and vitality, Edna Barth tells the colorful stories, legends, and historical facts behind St. Patrick's Day and shows how the spirit of this ancient Irish holiday is still alive in many countries. Illustrated with black and white drawings by Ursula Arndt, this is a book to be discovered and read with pleasure by young readers. All of Edna Barth's classic holiday books are now being reissued with fresh, new jacket designs and fun activities inside the paperback covers.

About this title

Review:

Edna Barth has made a name for herself creating engaging nonfiction books about the origins of holidays from Easter to Halloween. This may sound like a simple enough task, but books like hers are few and far between, making her concise and well-researched titles all the more valuable to parents, educators, and students alike. For Barth, it seems, the calendar year swims with holiday colors. "Sometime in February," her St. Patrick's Day book begins, "the hearts and cupids of Valentine's Day give way to shamrocks and leprechauns, Irish harps, flags and shillelaghs, clay pipes and top hats. The color green floods the windows of card shops, candy stores, and departments that sell gifts, souvenirs, and decorations for holidays. St. Patrick's Day is coming." Barth goes on to explain the origins of this ancient Irish holiday, including a 15-page chapter on St. Patrick himself; the history of this partly religious, partly festive holiday through the centuries; and a lively discussion of the symbols we associate with the greenest of green days--leprechauns, Irish music, top hats, shamrocks, shillelaghs, and more. A list of stories appropriate to read around March 17, a bibliography of sources, and an index round out this solid, simply illustrated exploration of the ins and outs of St. Patrick's Day. (Ages 9 and older)

About the Author:

The late Edna Barth worked as a librarian, a teacher, and an editor of books for young people before becoming the author of many well-known books for children.

Ursula Arndt has illustrated a number of popular children's books, including the six holiday titles written by Edna Barth for Clarion. She is now retired and lives in Germany.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0618096493
• ISBN 13: 9780618096497
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96
• Illustrator: Arndt Ursula