Tales from Old Ireland

Tales from Old Ireland/”The Children of Lir”

By Malachy Doyle

Illustrated by Niamh Sharkey

Ages 6 and up

Grades 1-5

Genre: Multicultural/folktales

A great way to learn about different cultures is through literature. Moreover looking at folktales from that culture allows readers to learn about stories that may be unfamiliar to them.  The Tales from Old Ireland is a wonderful collection of rich and entertaining stories from Irish folk and fairy tales.  One story in particular in the book is the “The Children of Lir” which is the most well known and beloved Irish story.

In “The Children of Lir”, the story is about the children of Lir, who was King.  Lir and his wife had four lovely children, and all of them were very happy.  But that all changed, when the Queen died and Lir remarried.  Lir remarried Aoife, but she was pure evil, and hated the children.  After bringing the children to the Great Lake, she cast a spell on the children and turned them into swans and they would remain so for 900 years.  The only way that the curse could be broken was by the sound of a “bell ringing for prayer”.  After finding out what Aoife did to his children, Lir was furious and turned her into a demon.  Lir made a law that no one in Ireland should kill a swan for fear it might be one of his children. Finally, after 900 years passed, the children’s curse was finally broken when they were able to fly to an old church, and a monk poured some holy water on the swan’s heads, turning the children back to normal.

In my opinion, what makes this collection of stories so great especially this one in particular is the way that the author Malachy Doyle’s command of the stories. His retellings are not complex but even so Doyle is still able to create a musical and rhythm qualities that are which Irish tales are known for.  The illustrations in the book by Niamh Sharkey  are done with oil colors and in addition also have a simplicity to them by the way that the figures are displayed.

The book as a whole is one that is a great way for children to learn more about Irish folktales and their culture.  It is a book that would be very entertaining for the students to read aloud, and even act out in class.  Though some of the language could be confusing as there are words in old Irish dialect, there is in a pronunciation key in the beginning of the book that helps readers know how to pronounce some of the confusing words.  Another great aspect of this book is the inclusion of an introduction of Irish folktales, and sources for how the author retold these stories.  This can allow students more opportunities to learn more about the stories they have read including some background information. 

Some of the challenges that I could foresee with this book, is the type of stories that are presented could have themes or scenes that younger students maybe would not understand, therefore it would be important for the classroom teacher to decide which story would be best suited for their class.

This book as the features of a multicultural book as is allows students to learn about a different culture from their own.  Another great thing about this book is that students could try to compare and contrast the folktales from Ireland to ones that they have heard.  Finally, the book could be used as a good social studies lesson as students could learn more about Ireland and the different places that are described in the stories (like the lakes, and locations). 

ELA Standards

Grade 2 RL Key ideas and Details

2. Recount stories, including fables, and folktales from diverse cultures and determine their central message, lesson or moral.

Grade 3 RL Key ideas and Details

2.  Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Grade 2 RL Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

9. Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (i.e. Cinderella) by different authors or from different cultures.

My Senator & Me: A Dog's Eye View of Washington D.C.

My Senator & Me: A Dog’s Eye View of Washington, D.C.

By Edward M. Kennedy

Illustrated by David Small

Interest Level: K – 3

Independent Reading Level: Grade Four & Up

            Have you wondered what it’s like to be a United States senator? Or what it would be like to spend the day in our nation’s capitol? As a tribute to his Portugese Water Dog, Champion Amigo’s Seventh Wave, (nicknamed Splash), late Senator Edward M. Kennedy describes a day in life of a senator and his prized pet in his children’s book My Senator and Me, A Dog’s Eye View of Washington D.C.

            Senator Kennedy gives young children insight into life in the capital through the eyes of his dog Splash. As Splash says, there is an old saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog;” and that is exactly what happened! After giving a brief background on the Senator and detailing how he came to join the Kennedy family in Washington, Splash chronicles a typical day’s events in his busy life. Through Splash’s narration, readers will learn a senator’s responsibilities, as well as how bills are passed into law.

            The day starts bright an early for Splash & the Senator, and they arrive at the office by 8:45 sharp. Taking readers through the day’s events, Splash describes the daily morning meeting, a tram ride to the Capitol Building, (the highlight of his day), a press conference, and the process of passing an education bill into law. Even on a day filled with important responsibilities, Splash and his senator still make a little time for fun by playing fetch on the lawn outside the Capitol Building.

            Through Splash’s narration, readers will learn a senator’s responsibilities, as well as how bills are passed into law. Caldecott Medal winning illustrator David Small’s watercolor pictures make it attractive and engaging. The illustrations are appropriate and strategically placed to support the text while adding to the content. For young children who have never visited Washington D.C., the illustrations give them a colorful tour of the capitol through Small’s accurate depictions of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Kennedy Center, as well as several government buildings and offices.

            In terms of genre, My Senator and Me, could be considered both informational and biographical. In his writing the late Senator Kennedy gives children insight into a senator’s duties in representing the people of his state, and the creation of public policy. Even though the text is narrated by Splash, the book still supplies a fair amount of biographical background on the Senator. The United States government can be a daunting topic for young elementary students. But the straightforward overview Senator Kennedy gives in the My Senator and Me helps to simplify it enough for young readers to enjoy without blurring his intention to help children understand what public service means. Using his prized pet Splash as the narrator makes the education text more appealing to youngsters. This book would be a great introductory piece to a unit on government or civil service; and could also be used as an authentic children’s resource for biographical information on Senator Kennedy, as it is written by the Senator himself.

Links to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:

History & Social Science

MA.PreK-K.6 Identify and describe family or community members who promote the welfare and safety of children and adults.

MA.PreK-K.8 Give examples of different kinds of jobs that people do, including the work they do at home.

English Language Arts

MA.1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about an informational text read aloud.

MA.2. With prompting and support, recall important facts from an informational text after hearing it read aloud.

MA.6. With prompting and support, “read” illustrations in an informational picture book by describing facts learned from the pictures.

A Sweet Smell of Roses

A Sweet Smell of Roses

By: Angela Johnson

Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez

Grades: 3-6

Have you ever wonder what is was like to live in the time of the Civil Rights Movement?  Dr. Martin Luther King was at the forefront of this movement through the Freedom march. In “A Sweet Smell of Roses,” Minnie and her sister leave their house to join the Freedom march and to listen to Dr. King speak.  This story moves the reader as these girls join in the movement to march for their freedom.

There is a “sweet smell of roses” as the main character and her sister, Minnie sneak out of their house early in the morning and into the streets of Washington D.C.  They join the crowd of thousands as they wait to march.  Dr. King begins his speech of their fight for equality and freedom.  They link hands and begin to march.  The main character smells the “sweet smell of roses.” They hear words of negativity and racism as they march, but it does not stop their march.  More and more people join the march, some clapping and singing and chanting “freedom!”  Minnie is even put on top of someone’s shoulders as they march.  They all gather to the center of town and listen to Dr. King’s speech.  Dr. King speaks of change; peace, love, and nonviolence for all.  When the speech is over, Minnie and her sister make their way home singing freedom songs.  They greet their worried mother and there is a sweet smell of roses.

            This story is an example of historical fiction.  It is a fictional story that is based on the Freedom march during the Civil Rights movement.  Illustrations support the text greatly as they convey the characters emotions.  There are not many words on the pages; the text is carefully chosen and written lyrically as the illustrations do most of the talking for the reader.  The illustrations are done in black and white shading which conveys the black and white segregation of this time as well as help the reader to understand that this story took place in history; the 50s and 60s.  The detailed shading is truly amazing and captivates the setting, the characters and their emotions perfectly.  Everything is in black and white with the exception of the American Flag, the bow on Minnie’s teddy bear, and the red roses. This contrast in color; using red, symbolizes the main idea of this story; freedom.  It connects the character to freedom.  Minnie’s red bow on her teddy bear is linked to the red stripes on the American Flag and the scent of freedom; roses.  This contrast in color helps the reader to understand the purpose of this march; freedom and the personal connection the characters have to this movement.  The author uses repetition of “there is a sweet smell of roses,” in order to convey to the reader that a good change is on the way.  Roses symbolize the scent of freedom in this story.  By telling the story in the children’s perspective; it gives the reader how this movement impacted the future children of the nation.  They were “waste high” on most of the crowd.  Through illustrations, repetition, lyrical text, and symbolism the author is able to captivate the Freedom march from a child’s perspective to readers.

This story would be appropriate for elementary and middle school students.  Depending on the age level determines how in depth you could go with your students with this story and the Civil Rights Movement.  Students need to understand that this is a historical fiction text.  The actual story is fiction; but it contains several historical elements.  It would be necessary to give students background knowledge before reading this story.  This would be a great story to incorporate when teaching about the Civil Rights Movement.  Students need to be told the setting because the story does not explicitly tell you that this takes place in the 50s and in Washington D.C.  This book requires the reader to have background knowledge on the Freedom March.  Students would need to understand segregation during these times as well as whom Dr. King was.  It would be necessary to have a discussion about the “sweet smell of roses” and how it symbolizes freedom in the story.  This might be hard for younger students to grasp.  This would be a great story to use to begin a unit on the civil rights movement; but a discussion before reading the story would be necessary.  This story can also lead to discussions about equality and the importance of accepting and embracing differences among others.  Many questions can be asked to the students throughout the story.  “How do you think the characters were feeling as they were harassed when they were marching?” “Can you remember a time when you were treated unfairly because of the way you looked?”  These are important questions to ask readers in order to help them make connections to the story.  Depending on the age group; maybe a discussion about how racism still exists in the world would also be a good follow up to this story. 

This book links to the ELA MA curriculum frameworks:
1.3: Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

The Legend of the Hummingbird

The Legend of the Hummingbird

A Tale from Puerto Rico

Retold by Michael Rose Ramirez

Illustrated by Margaret Sanfilippo

Folklore Consultant: Bette Bosma

Age Level: 5 – 9

Interest Level: K – 4

Independent Reading Level: 3 – 4

Genre: Folklore – Puerto Rico / Hummingbirds – Folklore

Have you ever wondered how a hummingbird got their name? Have you ever questioned why hummingbirds flock mostly to beautiful red flowers? By picking up The Legend of the Hummingbird, you can read the tale to find the answers to these questions according to the point of view of the Puerto Rican people. Read to find out what this folklore believes about the hummingbird receiving it's name, and why these birds hover over many flowers, especially the red ones!

In the mountains of the Tainos tribe, lived a girl named Alida. Alida was the daughter of the chief. Alida would love to spend her days next to this waterfall that she described to be very beautiful, and one day she met a boy her same age at her favorite place. The boy introduced himself as Taroo and the two began talking and finding that they share similar interests. Shortly after, Alida became frightened once Taroo informed her that he was Caribe because that is her tribe's enemy! Taroo reassured Alida that he only wanted peace and friendship, so Alida trusted his sincere words and shortly after, the two fell in love. Even though the two tried to keep their love a secret, someone from Alida's tribe spotted them and told the chief. Alida's father immediately arranged a marriage with another man that Alida did not love and she was deeply saddened over this. Alida called to the stars, asking for their help so they turned her into a lovely red flower but now Taroo could not understand why she was not returned to their favorite place. Taroo turned to the moon for guidance, and the moon explained what happened to Alida. Taroo now called to the stars to help him find her, so they turned him into a small bird. The wings of this small bird made a sweet humming sound that all people loved listening to, and they decided to call it a hummingbird. From the day this small bird was named on, it always enjoyed hovering over flowers, mainly the beautiful red ones because it is believe that Taroo is still searching for his true love, Alida.

This book offers many supports for new readers both at the beginning and end of the story. Before the story begins, on the first page there is a pronunciation guide that helps readers sound out the name of the two tribes: Taino(s) [tie-EE-no(s)] and Caribe(s) [ka-REE-bay(s)]. In the back of the book, after the story, the text now provides factual information that breaks down the pronunciation for the readers, but within the sentence this time. After the story, the non- fiction text tells the readers about transformation tales and who writes them. The author provides three examples of other transformation tales and where in the world they were told from. This book includes wonderful illustrations that greatly support student engagement in the text and assists students in making inferences and predictions for what may come next, during an interactive read aloud. In the back of the book, however, there are four real images (out of the seven provided) to enhance student learning of folklore and it's origin in the back of the book. The last six pages of this book are non-fiction excerpts that support understanding. This book also contains a larger font, which may help learning readers to follow along with the somewhat lengthy text.

The features of this particular genre present a closer look at figurative language, similes and personification. These three concepts of writing are used in this book to make the text come alive for the readers. These concepts also provide imagery to assist readers in making meaning and connections with the text. Figurative language is used on page 6 of the story, stating, "the sparkling waterfall that tumbled into a small pool." This detail was used to describe Alida's favorite place, which is where she met Taroo. Two similes were used on page 24 of the story to compare the new-found hummingbird to well known existing items. The first simile reads, "as fast as an arrow" and the second, "as colorful as a jewel." These similes were mixed in the same context as learning about the people that were beginning to love this unfamiliar, small bird. The use of personification was displayed first on page 16 when referring to the stars, "The stars heard Alida's plea. They knew of her love for Taroo and they wanted to help her." The second use of personification is on page 19, "Then one night, the moon called down to Taroo and explained what had happened." On pages 20 and 21, Taroo continues a conversation with the moon and the stars, exhibiting more personification with the main character and components of the atmosphere.

This book can be used in the classroom with the younger grades for an interactive read aloud during an introduction to folklore. By reading this story aloud to students, the teacher can model making inferences and predictions for what will come next based off of prior knowledge discovered during the reading. This book can be presented for the use of a number of different language arts lessons. The lessons that I would use this book to support would be (all based around the big idea of folklore) to form inferences & predictions, discovering figurative language, determining genre, finding supportive textual evidence to link with aspects of characters, finding symbolism within a story, determining the meaning of unfamiliar words (for example, the tribes that are listed prior to the beginning of the story - students can find meaning on first page), determining difference between genres (students will be able to do this only using this book because of the folklore story and the non- fiction information at the end of the story), and identifying the lessons within a folklore tale. There are many lessons that this book can apply to, as well as many supports for teachers who engaging in an interactive read aloud.

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: English Language Arts

7.9 Read grade-appropriate imaginative/literary and informational/expository text with comprehension (see General Standard 8). 

8.11  Identify and show the relevance of foreshadowing clues. 

8.12  Identify sensory details and figurative language.


8.17  Distinguish fact from opinion or fiction. 

8.19  Identify and analyze sensory details and figurative language. 

8.25  Interpret a character’s traits, emotions, or motivation and give supporting evidence from a text. 

8.29  Identify and analyze patterns of imagery or symbolism.  


8.34 Analyze and evaluate the logic and use of evidence in an author’s argument. 

4.17 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using definition or example context clues. 


10.1 Identify differences among the common forms of literature: poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction (informational and expository), and dramatic literature.

11.2 Identify themes as lessons in folktales, fables, and Greek myths for children.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Title: Number the Stars

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 4-8

Can you imagine yourself in a war period of time? What if you were a child who lived in a Holocaust? Imagine yourself a Jewish child or a child who has Jewish friends that are taken away from you and being exterminated and wiped out? What would you do to help your friends and the Jewish people? In the story of ten year old girl Annemarie you will learn about life in the country of Denmark during the World War II when it was occupied by Nazis and the bravery of Danish people. Annemarie's story will tell you about the importance and endures of Jewish people of Denmark during Holocaust. If you want to step into the shoes of a person who lived in Denmark during that time read Annemarie's story about her Jewish friends written by Lois Lowry Number the Stars.

Number the Stars is a story written from a perspective of ten-year-old Annemarie who lived in Denmark during the time when it was occupied by German Nazis in 1940-1945. The book tells us about Annemarie Johansen, her sister Kristi and Jewish friend Ellen, their families the Johansen’s and the Rosen’s and Peter, a young man who was in Resistance party against Nazi occupiers and the Annemarie’s Uncle Henrick, the fisherman. Annemarie describes the situation in Copenhagen during the occupation – the soldiers in “big boots” in the streets, a curfew, fear and bravery in Danish people. The story opens up with the word that Danish Jews are to be relocated and with the action the Johansen’s undertake. They help their friends and neighbors, the Rosen’s, and other Jewish people to escape to Sweden, which is neutral and safe at that period. In helping hiding her friend and then escaping Annemarie learns how brave and strong she can be; she carries a mysterious packet through the Nazi-patrolled night woods to her uncle's boat pretending that he forgot his lunch. The girl also leans the truth about Resistance group and Jewish population rescue from the Nazis.

Number the Stars falls into historical fiction genre and, while it does so, in the Afterword, we get to learn the true story, told by the author’s friend, where the book came from – the Danish Resistance which saved lives of thousands Jewish people in Denmark. It is historically accurate and opens up a difficult subject of the war but at the same time includes just enough humor to keep the deep subject a little lighter. It has an intense theme, and is an excellent introduction to the horrors of World War II.

Number the Stars can be used to teach variety of English Language Arts standards. The lesson can used to teach plot structure, character description, theme identification and discussion, literature elements, and points of view, themes, figurative language, writing, etc. This book is an excellent tool to use to teach children not only the language and writing concepts, but history. It gives a great idea of Holocaust during the WWII. Students can really put themselves in the shoes of those children who lived in that time period, because the book is told from the child’s perspective. It is also very realistic; the reader really gets that feeling that he/she is there right now, feels and worries about the characters and wants to have them overcome the difficult circumstances.

The book can be used in grade level range 4-6, depending on the purpose. It can fit into the 5^th grade Common Core standards:

RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

a. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]”).

L.5.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

c. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

Number the Stars is a book that earned Gold Medal for the great contribution to American children literature which it truly deserved.