Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. Christian metaphors mix happily with ancient motifs in this pleasing collection of Irish tales--some familiar, some not--nicely told with phrases meant to be rolled on the tongue and spoken aloud. "Fair, Brown, and Trembling" is a Cinderella story with a different kind of magic, as Trembling goes three times to the church but is forbidden by the godmother/henwife to enter. "The Soul Cages" illustrates how a crafty Irishman can outwit even the Merrow, the men of the sea. "Children of Lir," one of Ireland's more famous tales, is here as well, told in all its stately and mournful inevitability, as the four children of King Lir are cursed by their stepmother to be swans for 900 years. Niamh Sharkey's illustrations use a plethora of greens and browns. Their odd figures, with geometric outlines and dot eyes, make a very modern counterpoint to the stories. A pronunciation guide and notes on sources are included. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Northern Ireland native Doyle (Jody's Beans) celebrates his country's centuries-old oral legacy in this collection of seven stories. Traditional tales, such as "The Twelve Wild Geese" (which parallels the structure of the Brothers Grimm's "The Six Swans") and a Cinderella retelling, "Fair, Brown and Trembling," share space with some highly original individuals (e.g., the title characters in "Son of an Otter, Son of a Wolf"), and all retain a lyrical turn of phrase ("Will you do nothing to lighten our sorrow?" one of the cursed offspring asks the evil queen in "The Children of Lir"). Doyle, a conversational raconteur, wisely includes a pronunciation key for proper names that appear in the stories as well as notes on the background of the entries. Sharkey's (Jack and the Beanstalk) playfully stylized oil and gesso paintings complement the fanciful quality of the tales. Spot art breaks up the pages, and each story features one full-size painting that captures the heart of the taleÄfor "The Twelve Wild Geese," 12 quilt-like squares show the birds around the edges, while a quartet of interior squares show the key characters and knitting needles for the birds' sweaters. The artist also distinguishes each tale with a unique border and its own sophisticated, muted palette. Ages 10-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-6-A collection of seven of the best-known and perhaps best-loved gems of Irish folklore. Included are the tragic "Children of Lir"; the Irish Cinderella, "Fair, Brown, and Trembling"; the poignant "Lusmore and the Fairies"; and the action-packed "Son of an Otter, Son of a Wolf." Doyle's respect for the origins and authenticity of the tales is evident from his informative introduction and detailed source notes, and the selections contain only minor variations from those found in other authoritative sources. What makes this collection exceptional is Doyle's own masterful command of language. His retellings are simple and economical, yet contain all the lilting rhythm and musical quality for which Irish tales are famous. Sharkey's illustrations, prepared in oil and gesso on canvas, are a perfect match. The backgrounds are rich in texture and have an intense palette, while the figures displayed on them have an appealing simplicity. One full-page spread is included for each tale, but smaller illustrations throughout enliven the reading experience. Although the tales themselves can be found in other collections, the harmonious combination of language and art found here makes this a priority purchase for most collections, and of particular interest to storytellers.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) In his cogent introduction, Malachy Doyle gives a succinct overview of the significance of storytelling in the Irish cultural tradition, linking it to the present by references to the government-sponsored systematic collection of tales in the mid-1930s. Even school children were involved in assembling the greatest collection of folklore in the world, now housed at University College in Dublin. From this vast treasure trove and his own childhood recollections, Doyle has retold seven of his favorites, beginning with ""The Children of Lir,"" one of the best loved of Irish tales, immortalized in a bronze sculpture in Dublin's Garden of Remembrance as a symbol of Ireland's struggle for independence. ""Lusmore and the Fairies,"" a tale with many international variants, warns of the need to respect supernatural powers; ""Son of an Otter, Son of a Wolf,"" adapted from ""The King Who Could Not Sleep,"" tells of the succession of the true heir to the throne of King Cormac. ""Fair, Brown, and Trembling"" is a Cinderella variant, and ""The Twelve Wild Geese"" is similar to the ""The Six Swans"" from the Brothers Grimm; other tales are deeply rooted in Celtic mythology. The illustrations by Niamh Sharkey are two-dimensional abstractions, richly colored like illuminated manuscripts, incorporating familiar motifs such as the spiral, yet they are contemporary in feeling and interpretation. The text is preceded by a very helpful pronunciation guide. The thorough source notes are printed in an unfortunately small type size; this small caveat aside, the book is a well-designed addition to folklore collections in general and Irish folklore collections in particular. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Seven briskly retold traditional tales are illustrated with dot-eyed, appealingly ingenuous figures from the illustrator of Tolstoys Gigantic Turnip (1999). The stories very titles are evocative: a spiteful stepmother transforms The Children of Lir into swans; the three sisters in a Cinderella variant are Fair, Brown, and Trembling; a clever, kind-hearted beachcomber frees the spirits of drowned mariners from a sea creatures Soul Cages; a hero has, then loses, a chance at eternal youth in Oisín in Tír na nÓg. Doyle draws readers into the stories with seemingly offhand skillFionnuala was the eldest, the only girl, and she was as beautiful as sunshine in blossomed branches. He doles out generous measures of comedy, drama, romance, and wonder (and, in one tale, fiery poteen), then closes with learned source notes printed in microscopic type. An engagingly readable, and tellable, sampler drawn from a deep and still-vital storytelling tradition. (Folktales. 10-13)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
