WRB—Mar. 2023 Children’s Literature Supplement

Just a little bit late

It’s easy to lose track of what we’re supposed to celebrate each month. Is it National Craft Month? Or was that February? Mustache March is easy, but what about National Poetry Writing Month, National Bike Month, or National Ice Cream Month (Sarah rarely forgets this one). And we haven’t even talked about very important daily festivities such as National Queso Day, National Chocolate-Chip Cookie Day, and National S’mores Day. Here at the CLS, we take these celebrations quite seriously. So seriously, in fact, that we give readers book recommendations after the holiday has past—because who wouldn’t want to keep the fun going, right? To that end, please enjoy our offering of charming Irish/St. Patrick’s Day books, an extended arts section in honor of Youth Art Month, and much more.

Luck O’ the Irish:

Sarah can’t recommend Tomie dePaola’s books enough, and to her delight, he has a number of Irish titles in his body of work. (If you can’t find them at your local library, remember to check YouTube for read-aloud versions of the stories.)

• Jamie O’Rourke and the Pooka (2000) [Oh my word did the monster in this book cause me some quiet distress in childhood. —Chris]

• Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato (1992)

• Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland (1992)

• Fin M’Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill (1981)

• Saint Patrick (board book)

Looking for a well-crafted movie about Saint Patrick for young viewers? Check out CCC’s title, Patrick: Brave Shephard of the Emerald Isle.

P. J. Lynch’s beautiful artwork has brought many tales to life, including those in these three books:

• The Names Upon the Harp (2000) by Marie Heaney

• King of Ireland’s Son (1996) by Brendan Behan

• Fairytales of Ireland (1990) by William Butler Yeats, ed. Neil Philip

Don’t forget Ireland’s other famous saint (yes, yes, there are many wonderful Irish saints, but this newsletter only has so much space), Brigid of Kildare. To learn more about this lovely saint, check out Brigid’s Cloak (2002) (by Bryce Milligan and illustrated by Helen Cann) and Saint Brigid and the Cows (1964) by Eva K. Betz.

If you’ve ever watched traditional Irish dance and wondered where they came up with the designs for their costumes, look no further than the Book of Kells. The intricate embroidery is inspired by the ornate decorations adorning the pages of this famous book, and Deborah Nourse Lattimore has a stunning retelling of how that artwork came to be (The Sailor Who Captured the Sea: A Story of the Book of Kells, 1991).

Finally, speaking of Irish dance, this hand-dance video from two professional dancers is incredibly entertaining. (Sarah’s sister was a championship Irish dancer, and they do actually use hand-dancing as a way to practice their steps while waiting in line during competitions.)

Growing up well:

Ann Burns has a lovely essay on Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic tale, Madeline (1939), and the importance of routine:

“When you keep your life in order, your time will multiply,” said St. Josemaría Escrivá. “And therefore you will be able to give greater glory to God, working more eagerly in his service.”

What frequently prevents us from instilling order is daily drudgery. There is nothing glamorous in the mundane and monotonous tasks of life. Even the world seems to lecture us that your work—your life—should be fun. “If it feels laborious, you’re doing it wrong!” But we have to challenge this belief because laborious and even boring tasks are a necessary part of life.”