Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland - Hardcover

DePaola, Tomie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823409244 ISBN 13: 9780823409242

Publisher: Holiday House, 1992

Synopsis

The story of Patrick's life, from his noble birth in Britain, to his being captured and taken to Ireland by a group of bandits, to the "dreams" that led him to convert the Irish people to the Christian faith. DePaola also retells several well-known legends, including the story of how Patrick got rid of all the snakes in Ireland.

About this title

About the Author

Tomie dePaola's many beloved books have enchanted generations of children around the world. His numerous awards include a Caldecott Honor Award, a Newbery Honor Award and a New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure. He lives in New Hampshire.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 4-- For answering requests for information about St. Patrick, this is the ideal book to replace a page in the encyclopedia or a pictureless chapter in a musty old book of saints. The story opens with his kidnapping as a boy and youth as a slave in Ireland, and recounts his escape to his family in Britain, the inspiring vision that led him to return as Ireland's first bishop, and the spread of Christianity on the Emerald Isle under his leadership. dePaola's palette is dominated by earth and moss tones, and works to convey a distinctly Celtic flavor. An arresting use of space runs the gamut from double-page spreads to half-page illustrations. This constantly shifting balance of art and text adds action to the tale. The book concludes with a collection of one-page vignettes describing a few colorful legends about St. Patrick. This approach may give some readers pause as they try to distinguish between these legends and certain events in the body of the story that could also be considered legendary. Then again, this setup could be no more incongruous than the role that Patrick himself has come to play--that of folk hero and saint. This admirable picture-book offering will fill a gap in most collections. --Lisa S. Murphy, Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Fans of the prolific dePaola's heartfelt celebrations of religious themes will welcome this handsome picture-book biography. His signature style is well showcased here and, as he did in The Lady of Guadalupe , dePaola effectively integrates both the tones and design elements of (in this case) Celtic art into his renderings. As with his pictorial biography Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi , dePaola succeeds in placing a near-mythic religious figure within a historic context and successfully relates the familiar and not-so-familiar details of his life: Patrick was of British (although when it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire), not Celtic, ancestry; March 17 is the date of his death, not of his birth. Readers will particularly enjoy the addition of five legends about St. Patrick, including the snakes and the shamrock. This well-designed entry has perennial appeal. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A brief, straightforward summary of the known facts about the saint's life, illustrated in dePaola's usual accomplished manner with simple, stylized figures and a pleasing variety of frames bordered with gold bands that unify the whole. DePaola's rich colors are somewhat muted here, and beautifully balanced; the whole effect is decorative, reverent, and serene. Five legends appear at the end, each succinctly stated and with a single illustration--a good way to differentiate between the historical and the apocryphal. An excellent contribution. (Biography/Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0823409244
• ISBN 13: 9780823409242
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32