Children's Book Review: *S is for Shamrock* by Eve Bunting

S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Matt Faulkner

Back-of-the-book blurb:  Small in size (less than 400 by 200 miles) the country of Ireland holds a big place in world and human history. And many from around the globe proudly lay claim to ancestral ties there. S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet gives readers a guided A-Z tour of this small island country whose influence extends far beyond its sea borders.

She is Too Fond of Books’ review:  I’ve read and reviewed two other ‘alphabet books’ from Sleeping Bear Press – V is for Venus Flytrap and J is for Jack-O’-Lantern.  These are gorgeous nonfiction children’s books; several series cover the entire alphabet – each state in the United States, many countries and cultures worldwide, various sports, etc.

S is for Shamrock is another wonderful book I’m pleased to add to our family library, especially since it teaches the children something of their Joyce family background.  Each letter represents a concept in Ireland’s history or culture,  and is accompanied by a short verse, plus a longer text illustration in the sidebar.  Matt Faulkner’s pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations round out this lovely picture book.

 You may recall the legend of Finn McCool from my review of Finn McCool and the Great Fish.  The verse for the letter G tells us:

G is for the Giant’s Causeway

The Irish Giant, Finn McCool,
never went a day to school.
But he was big, and strong, and smart.
This causeway was for his sweetheart.

The sidebar text elaborates:

The Giant’s Causeway marches into the Irish Sea between Ireland and Scotland.  It is made of basalt stones shaped like hexagonal columns, set so close together that the line of them looks like a road.  Geologists say the columns were caused by volcanic action.

Not at all, say the Irish.

The Giant’s Causeway was the work of Finn McCool, Ireland’s favorite giant.  When he fell in love with a lady giant on Staffa, an island in the Hebrides, Finn built this causeway to bring her comfortably back to Ulster.

The suggested age range is 4 to 8 years; but it could be 4 to 104!  My preschooler will sit for the poems as a read-aloud, and asks for more explanation (the sidebars), when the pictures draw him in.  My 7- and 12-year-old readers have read S is for Shamrock cover-to-cover, and we’ve had several conversations bubble up from the fun facts they’ve learned.  I believe the book is a great pick for an adult of Irish descent as well – and that’s not blarney!

About the author:  Eve Bunting is the author of over 100 books for young people.  She was born in Northern Ireland and currently resides in Pasadena, California.  Bunting is the recipient of many awards, including  a Special Achievement Award from PEN International for her contribution to children’s literature, and the 2002 Irish-American Woman of the Year from the Irish American Heritage Committee of New York.

FTC disclosure: review copy provided by the publisher.