St. Patrick's Day

by Anne Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

Overview

On St. Parick's Day, come dance a jig with the students in the classroom ALA Booklist calls "a lively place."

Today in Mrs. Madoff's class we all wore something green to school. Kate played the fiddle and we danced to Irish music. Then we learned about St. Patrick and many Irish tales and traditions. Now we know why there are no snakes in Ireland. Not every-one in school is all Irish like me, but we all can celebrate St. Patrick's Day together!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060501976
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/26/2010
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	426,260
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anne Rockwell was a pioneer in the field of nonfiction for very young children. She has more than a hundred books to her credit, including Why Are the Ice Caps Melting? and Clouds in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.

Anne and Lizzy Rockwell have collaborated on all the Mrs. Madoff books, including St. Patrick's Day and Presidents' Day, and Who Lives in an Alligator Hole? in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Lizzy is the author-illustrator of Good Enough to Eat, The Busy Body Book, The All-Together Quilt, and How Do You Feel? Lizzy lives in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 2—The children in Mrs. Madoff's classroom are once again participating in holiday-related activities: wearing something green, writing reports, acting in a play, dancing a jig. Evan is lucky enough to be all Irish, and he shows a picture of himself on a visit to his grandparents in Ireland. At home, he continues to celebrate. Lizzy Rockwell's clear, vivid spreads evoke an active learning environment (though really now, 10 students?). The title does not mention Catholicism or Patrick's role as a Saint, and avoids any religious elements in the traditions (the three leaves of a shamrock are usually said to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but not here). However, St. Patrick's Day has become a secular holiday, and this welcome addition to the series clearly outlines the importance of this day in March on which everyone is Irish.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

School Library Journal

The Rockwells mother and daughter bring to St. Patrick's Day the same cogent, ecumenical treatment they've brought to the other titles in the Mrs. Madoff series (Presidents' Day, 2008, etc.). "On St. Patrick's Day," says Evan, "I wore my green shirt, green pants, and even my green striped socks. Pablo wore green sneakers." Once at school, the kids work on their St. Patrick's Day projects: Three kids write a story, two put on a play, three others perform a jig and two do a report on the shamrock. It's exactly the same scene that's played out in elementary schools across the country every March, and as such it will be sweetly familiar to readers. Given the paucity of books on the subject despite perennial demand, it will be deservedly welcomed by teachers in many settings. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews