Today's post is inspired by, of course, St. Patrick's Day, but also, by Booking Mama's Kid Connection feature on children's books. My mother keeps my children well supplied in books and especially well supplied in books that relate to holidays. Seriously, I could have a readathon for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving - even Groundhog Day! So in honor of St. Patrick's Day, which also happens to be my mother's birthday, I thought I'd write about Eve Bunting's St. Patrick's Day in the Morning, which I read to my son last night in preparation for today.
This is a very sweet story and my 4 yo was rapt while I read it (and I even refrained from feigning an Irish accent). Bunting tells the story of Jamie, the youngest of three boys, who longs to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade up Acorn Hill. He's told that he's too young by his older brothers and his parents, but wakes up early on St. Patrick's Day morning and decides to undertake the hike, with his sheepdog by his side. The illustrations by Jan Brett are wonderful and they, along with Bunting's writing, reveal bits of Ireland that I remembered from my visits - the smoke rising from chimneys all day, every day and the beautiful rolling green landscape. I highly recommend this for reading aloud to your children today.
