The plot of this story is simple and shows how this special day is celebrated. It starts when the Leprechauns gather for St. Patrick’s Day, and they erupt into a loud parade.
As the story continues we see dances and prances, food sharing, and cultural caring.The book is written in rhyme and rhythm, ending on a fun-filled feast.
Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, but how did it get that name? This story follows Shamus, the four-leaf clover, along with his clover friends.
The story deals with bullying, as Shamus is a rare clover. Most only have 3 leaves, which is why we humans believe 4 leaves are special. But In Shamus’s world that means he’s different.
The book goes on to explore the acceptance of one’s differences and the magic that comes with them.
This story is an Irish folktale as old as any. It follows Jamie O’Rourke - a lazy farmer. In fact, he is the laziest man in all of Ireland.
He won’t help his wife, he doesn’t help the farm, and he doesn’t help in the house either.
One day Jamie meets a Leprechaun who knows just what to do with him. The Leprechaun puts magic on Jamie’s crops until our lazy man realizes he has the biggest potato in the world.
Now Jamie has to ask for help and needs to put in real work. Will the villagers help, and if they do, what is their plan?
This picture book is part of the How To Catch series. In the series, you can learn how to catch the Easter Bunny, a Christmas Elf, A Turkey, or even a Unicorn.
Each one has motifs of the legends or lives of the creature. For the Leprechaun, you create a trap using shamrocks, rainbows, and a pot of gold.
This is a cheeky story about mischief and mild revenge. The kids will be laughing at the rhymes and the beautiful pictures.
This is a bit of a stretch, but how can we pass up the chance to include Dr. Seuss?
This book is filled with amazing rhymes and silly images, and although it doesn’t mention anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day, it does include the concept of luck.
The story teaches you about positive affirmations and projecting positivity all around the concept of luck.
This book is part of the night before series. In the collection, you can also find The Night Before Easter, Before Halloween, Before Kindergarten and so much more.
In this story, we follow Tim and Maureen who put out traps to catch a leprechaun.
The next day the family starts celebrating, but the kids are off looking at their traps. They did it! They caught the leprechaun, but will they find the pot of gold?
So far the stories about St Patrick’s Day have been based on motifs of Ireland, like Leprechauns and luck. This story is different, as it focuses on St. Patrick himself.
It’s an informational book filled with facts, culture, history, and legends. And despite all of that, the book is still aimed at children with read-aloud writing and large pictures.
If you wanted a religious or historical account, this is the book for you.
This 192-page book is a collection of stories aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 10. The stories include real folklore from Irish culture, many of which would be lost without collections like these.
The word “Blarney” technically means to flatter, but there is more weight behind it. It's a humorous flattery with wit and cleverness.
That’s the type of writing style you can get from this collection.
We all know the story “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly”, but what if she swallowed something else?
This series has 25 books in total. Sometimes she swallows leaves, in another a bat, and each time she goes on a wild journey based on the item she digested.
The book is aimed at 3 to 6-year-olds and the rhyming helps with young children’s early reading skills.
We are jumping back into informational books now. This time we touch on Irish culture, crafting ideas and easy facts about Ireland.
In all honesty, this isn’t the most fun to read and students might not enjoy the content. However, if you have a smart kid who loves reading and learning, they might enjoy reading this book alone.
The Book of Nonsense is aimed at older children and adults. It follows the same absurd nature as The Owl and the Pussycat, but with more unusual and out-of-place ideas.
The limericks were written around the 1800s, so some of the words might be confusing or old-fashioned, but they are still understandable nonetheless.
This book shows us 10 silly Leprechauns through rhymes and vibrant pictures. It’s great for showing how to write numbers, as we count each one through the book.
The Secret Life of Leprechauns is aimed at toddlers and preschoolers. It has beautiful illustrations and takes on the idea of Leprechauns in a new and magical way.
Yes, there are still hints of pots of gold, and clovers, but we also explore the homes and personalities of the mythical creatures too.
Final Thoughts
Most St. Patrick's Day books focus on luck and Leprechauns, the two most loved parts of the holiday. But we wanted to make sure you had options around history and St Patrick himself.
Most of these books have previews on Amazon, so take a peek before buying. That way you can gauge if your children will enjoy and understand the stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Teach St Patrick’s Day?
Depending on the time you have, you should spend a day learning about the history of the tale, and then the rest of the week have a day based on each theme.
For example, St Patrick banished snakes into the sea which is why Ireland is free of snakes.
You could read the story in the morning. Then play a game of tag or dodgeball where one person is St Patrick and, and the rest are snakes.
You can end the day with drawings of the banishment or ask the kids to create their own story about why some creatures aren’t in the area.
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
