Review by Booklist Review
Finn Finnegan, a wily young man returning home to Dingle after a year's absence, finds his mother and the rest of the villagers befuddled and sleep deprived. The leprechauns have been keeping them awake, hammering shoes for the fairies day and night. After tricking the little folk into showing him their store of gold, Finn makes every coin disappear and then offers a deal: he promises to return the gold if the leprechauns will quit the village for good. The well-paced story moves along smoothly, enhanced by Andreasen's handsome oil paintings, which picture the setting and characters with equal verve and charm. Though a bit long for preschoolers, this will be a good St. Patrick's Day read-aloud for primary-grade classes. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Those who have wondered how the folklore about leprechauns stashing their treasure at rainbow's end came to be, now have a playful explanation courtesy of Krensky's original tale (with the fitting subtitle, "Or How That Pot o'Gold Got to the End of the Rainbow"). Following a year of fun in Dublin, Finn O'Finnegan, who "looked like a rogue and walked like a rascal," plans to recharge by loafing around his mother's cottage in Dingle. But his plan hits a snag when Finn learns that cobbler leprechauns have been keeping the whole town up at night with all their "infernal tapping," as they craft footwear for the local fairies. Finn, sounding like a judge from Project Runway, insults the leprechauns' style and craftsmanship, inciting their anger and teaching them a trick or two about the transport of fairy gold. Though Krensky's (How Santa Got His Job) magical logic may at times be difficult for younger readers to follow, kids will likely be amused by the proud and cranky leprechauns and trickster Finn. Andreasen's (By the Dawn's Early Light) oil paintings exude loads of Old World-Emerald-Isle charm in scenes of rolling hills dotted with stone walls and thatch-roof cottages. His leprechauns, clad in natty green hats and suits, and shod with (well made, no doubt) buckle shoes, prove a memorable clan. Ages 4-6. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Wry humor and lyrical dialogue make this story great fun to read aloud. Unfortunately, the text does not always provide sufficient context to explain some of the plot elements. Finn O'Finnegan returns to his village after a long absence and notices that "something was clearly amiss." It is an oil painting that reveals what: a cow is being served milk, a hen is staring at fried eggs, and a pig is taking a bubble bath. Finn's mother complains that some noisy leprechauns who are making fairy shoes are disturbing her sleep with their "tap-tap-tap," so the young man devises a clever scheme to outwit them. He angers the leprechauns when he finds fault with every one of their shoes, so they show him their stash of gold to prove that they make fine products. However, the story does not explain how the leprechauns can find their gold at will, and at the end of a rainbow, when there is no reference to moisture in either the text or illustration. Nevertheless, the clever Finn makes their gold disappear (or does he?) and strikes a bargain: "If you promise to leave Dingle and never trouble us again, I'll return your gold." Additional humorous visuals show the increasingly annoyed leprechauns searching high and low for their treasure. Purchase as needed.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA (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
When fairy-shoemaking leprechauns invade Finn's town, their hammering keeps the townsfolk awake. Finn then tricks them into moving their shoemaking elsewhere. Muted but whimsical oil paintings show the leprechauns angry at Finn's trickery, then pleased when he reveals their gold hidden at the end of the rainbow. The story is text-heavy but entertaining. (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
Is it possible? Too many leprechauns? It is when their infernal tapping from busily making fairy shoes keeps the whole town awake. When Finn returns home to Dingle, he finds his village turned upside down and sleep-deprived. If he wants some of his mom's soda bread, he needs a plan to stop the noise so she can get a good night's sleep. Can Finn convince the leprechauns that all their gold has disappeared and strike a deal that if they leave town, he'll return it? Cue the rainbow. The jaunty oil-on-paper illustrations embellish the usual depictions of leprechauns, so pudgy-cheeked here that they invite pinching. Boxed text on one side apposes bordered scenes on the other, with double spreads stretching out the humor. "Gilty" of being a good read, despite the lack of anything to suggest whether it is an original story or a folktale. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
