There are not a lot of great children’s books about St Patrick’s Day. I lament about this every year. This is especially true for young children. The ones we do have I love and my kids are always excited to see them each March. Here are my top recommendations.
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Best Children’s Books for St Patrick’s Day
The Leprechaun’s Gold
by Pamela Duncan Edwards
This is the tale of Pat and Tom, a harp contest, and what happens when a leprechaun intervenes. It is full of the merriment and music that captures the humor of the Irish.
Fiona’s Luck
by Teresa Bateman
It was the cover illustrations that led me to pick up this book and while you cannot truly judge a book by its cover, this one does not mislead. A beautiful story about the luck of the Irish and how one clever girl gets it back. Great story paired with magical illustrations.
Finn McCool and the Great Fish
by Eve Bunting
Another fun tale by the talented Eve Bunting. Rather than leprechauns, this one tells the tale of a gentle giant. Finn McCool is instructed to capture and kill a fish to gain its wisdom. Unable to harm the fish he gathers wisdom another way.
That’s What Leprechauns Do
by Eve Bunting
Three silly leprechauns are on their way to plant some gold at the end of a rainbow. Indeed, this is important leprechaun work, but they can’t help but stop along the way to cause some mischief.
Fin M’Coul : The Giant of Knockmany Hill
by Tomie De Paola
Stories of Fin M’Coul are handed down between generations. Here Tomie De Paola captures the humorous tale of the giant, Cucullin, and Fin. This is a completely silly tale and worth a good laugh out loud.
How to Catch a Clover Thief
by Elise Parsley
This is not a St. Patrick’s Day book. Really it’s about a patch of clovers, a boar and a gopher. It is however hilarious and about clovers, so we’re going to stretch a little and include it. I love it for St. Patrick’s day because it has the cheekiness of a leprechaun story. Paired with unusual for children’s books animals and, well clovers, this is a seriously fun read.
You May Also Like: St Patrick’s Day Read and Make for Toddlers
Where Are You Puffling? An Irish Adventure
by Erika McGann and illustrated by Gerry Dally
Animal lovers will adore this Irish adventure. A little puffling sets out to explore the island. When his parents wake up they go searching for him and follow the trail of animals he has encountered. Little ones will love searching for the puffling in each illustration and predicting which animal the parents will talk to next. A bright, happy tale full of the diverse animals of Ireland.
Follow me Around Ireland
by Wiley Blevins
I have been pleasantly surprised by this series several times. They serve as a good introduction or overview of a country, in this case Ireland. I love that they are from a child’s perspective so they include things like how kids play and what school looks like. FOLLOW ME AROUND IRELAND is a wonderful book for giving some context for all of the playful picture books on this list for St. Patrick’s Day.
Flying Feet: A Story of Irish Dance
by Anna Marlis Burgard
My daughter does Irish dance and St Patrick’s Day contains a lot of Irish dancing for us, so naturally this is one of her favorites. This is about a dance competition between two boys to become the town’s dance master. I love all of the dance vocabulary and energetic language.
Leprechaun in Late Winter (Magic Treehouse series)
by Mary Pope Osborne
My kids loved the Magic Treehouse series when they were 3-7 years old. This one is great for St Patrick’s Day. Jack and Annie end up in Ireland and have to outsmart a leprechaun. Read the accompanying guide Leprechauns and Folklore for additional nonfiction background information. (Tip: if you have the Libby app with your library a lot of the Magic Treehouse books are available there and wonderfully narrated).
Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales
illustrations by Kate Forrester
This is a beautiful book of fairy tales from Celtic heritages. Obviously they aren’t all from Ireland, but when we did our Fourth Grade Unit on Ireland, or when you’re getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day you could just read the tales from Ireland. They are brief, just a few pages, which works well for a daily read aloud or before bed.
View Full St Patrick’s Day Booklist on Bookshop
