Product Description

The story of Patrick's life, plus well-known legends.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107227 in Books
• Published on: 1991-12-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Fans of the prolific dePaola's heartfelt celebrations of religious themes will welcome this handsome picture-book biography. His signature style is well showcased here and, as he did in The Lady of Guadalupe , dePaola effectively integrates both the tones and design elements of (in this case) Celtic art into his renderings. As with his pictorial biography Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi , dePaola succeeds in placing a near-mythic religious figure within a historic context and successfully relates the familiar and not-so-familiar details of his life: Patrick was of British (although when it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire), not Celtic, ancestry; March 17 is the date of his death, not of his birth. Readers will particularly enjoy the addition of five legends about St. Patrick, including the snakes and the shamrock. This well-designed entry has perennial appeal. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-- For answering requests for information about St. Patrick, this is the ideal book to replace a page in the encyclopedia or a pictureless chapter in a musty old book of saints. The story opens with his kidnapping as a boy and youth as a slave in Ireland, and recounts his escape to his family in Britain, the inspiring vision that led him to return as Ireland's first bishop, and the spread of Christianity on the Emerald Isle under his leadership. dePaola's palette is dominated by earth and moss tones, and works to convey a distinctly Celtic flavor. An arresting use of space runs the gamut from double-page spreads to half-page illustrations. This constantly shifting balance of art and text adds action to the tale. The book concludes with a collection of one-page vignettes describing a few colorful legends about St. Patrick. This approach may give some readers pause as they try to distinguish between these legends and certain events in the body of the story that could also be considered legendary. Then again, this setup could be no more incongruous than the role that Patrick himself has come to play--that of folk hero and saint. This admirable picture-book offering will fill a gap in most collections. --Lisa S. Murphy, Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A brief, straightforward summary of the known facts about the saint's life, illustrated in dePaola's usual accomplished manner with simple, stylized figures and a pleasing variety of frames bordered with gold bands that unify the whole. DePaola's rich colors are somewhat muted here, and beautifully balanced; the whole effect is decorative, reverent, and serene. Five legends appear at the end, each succinctly stated and with a single illustration--a good way to differentiate between the historical and the apocryphal. An excellent contribution. (Biography/Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Informative & Fun!
Growing up in an Irish Catholic family myself, I had heard a great deal about St. Patrick. When we received this book as a gift I started reading it to my children, and they loved it. There were stories even I hadn't heard about St. Pat! As with his St. Francis book, Tomie DePaola's book holds children's interest throughout the many stories while other books of this length lose children. Kids remember the stories and repeat them because they are told so lovingly and in such a fun way! I now bring this book to their school and read it to all their classrooms every St. Patrick's Day to let children know that there is more to Patrick than green beer!

Learn more about the Patron Saint of Ireland
A wonderful book by Tomie dePaola filled with helpful information about the true story of St. Patrick's life, as well as fun legends attributed to the patron Saint of Ireland. dePaola's bold illustrations lend to the attraction of the book. He mentions at the end of the book his reasons for writing it and his attraction to Saint Patrick. My own eight year old son has a strong devotion to Saint Patrick and this book is among his favorites. I appreciate the clear differentiation between fact and legend in this book and would highly recommend it for any family.

knowledge, good drawing and simple shapes make a joy to see.
Tomie dePaola's Patrick, patron-saint of Ireland is a joy to read and see. The story is clear and simple, the drawings strong and cheerfull. Not many historians mention the Irish hounds on the the ship to France. Tomie dePaola does, with knowledge and artfull humor.