(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Lowery. The Gingerbread Man (The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School etc.) may have met his match in a "magical, mischievous leprechaun pest" who's wreaking havoc at school: "Fo-Fiddley-Fee! / You can't catch me! / For I'm as clever as clever can be." Murray's rhymes are creative and amusing, and Lowery's pencil, screen-printed, and digitally colored panel illustrations are vibrant--with added pops of shamrock-green.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Meisel. Sean McDonald inadvertently builds his house over leprechaun Brian O'Shea's home. Though Brian tries to scare Sean away at first, the two eventually reach an unspoken agreement. When hard times hit, Brian shares his gold with Sean, and the two work together to thwart a robbery. Meisel's whimsical acrylic and watercolor illustrations add an additional layer of lightheartedness to the well-paced story.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert. A greedy human snatches a leprechaun and forces him to reveal the location of his pot of gold. The wily leprechaun uses magic to prevent the man from getting away with his wealth. After this close call, he decides the end of the rainbow would make a safer hiding spot. Delicately lined and softly shaded illustrations accompany the pedestrian story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie must inspire a girl named Augusta living in Galway in the nineteenth century, "a time when it is not easy for girls to explore their creativity." Complicating the task is Augusta's envy; she's desperate to see the Shee (Irish fairies) but isn't able to until the kids inadvertently get her kidnapped by them. The fantastical adventure is entertaining and enlightening.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Stepping Stone series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Magic Tree House stars Jack and Annie escort readers through their research into Irish folklore, particularly “wee folk” and their human experts. It's lucidly told, but as a stand-alone, the book reads like a list of fairies and their idiosyncrasies. It features black-and-white photos and illustrations, including a gem of Jack and Annie in fairy regalia. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Lily's late grandmother's key arrives in an exploding birthday package, and then things really get strange. Leprechauns drag Lily to the Meadows, where she learns of her destiny to take her grandmother's place as keeper of the clan's gold. Lily must use all her cunning to accomplish the tasks necessary to claim her title and return home. This is a compellingly unpredictable read.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathleen Kemly. While Shannon is practicing step dancing, the heel of her shoe breaks off. Knowing her parents can't afford new shoes, she tries counting backward in Gaelic, and a (tall) leprechaun appears, ready to grant wishes. But he doesn't just give them out; he makes Shannon work for them, as shown in the lively illustrations. Though the story is scattered, readers will root for Shannon.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mélisande Potter. Traveling Tom successfully wins the hand of a beautiful princess by tricking a leprechaun out of his pot of gold. This original tale has much to enjoy--a strong storytelling voice, clever plot, and an ending that will leave readers wondering. Potter's gouache, ink, and collage paintings set the fantastical story firmly in the lush green hills of Ireland.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. During the Irish famine, Fiona uses her wits to force the wily leprechaun king to let some luck back into the human world. The magical world is imbued with subtle colors and sparkles with star-shaped bits of luck while the "big folks" are forced to live in a more monochromatic environment. This inventive story has the cadence of a folktale.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano & Paolo Lamanna. This graphic novel adaptation of the first Artemis Fowl book presents Artemis in action as he schemes to capture a fairy and collect a golden ransom. Action scenes are presented from various visual perspectives, heightening excitement. Even readers familiar with the series will enjoy this new approach, though their conceptions of the characters (some poorly developed) may not match the pictures.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Ant Hill series. Illustrated by Will Terry. The ants are celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a parade. When they see a leprechaun ("'Green ant!' said Grant"), the parade veers off course to find his pot of gold-colored crackers ("'A treat!' said Pete"). With only very few words, the rhyming text conveys a complete and thoroughly entertaining story. The richly colored illustrations capture the fun from surprising angles.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Fairy-shoemaking leprechauns invade Finn's town. Their hammering keeps the townsfolk awake, until Finn tricks the leprechauns into moving their shoemaking elsewhere. Muted 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.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 Mysterious Encounters series. Not for the easily spooked, these clearly written books present descriptions, histories, and captivating personal anecdotes of peculiar creatures and eerie occurrences. Sidebars addressing alternative explanations may satisfy skeptics, though the text does tend to present the supernatural as fact. The stock photos and illustrations can be cheesy, but they break up the text nicely. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mysterious Encounters titles: Fairies, Poltergeists, The Afterlife, Witches, and Leprechauns.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lorna Balian & Lecia Balian. Too lazy to perform the chores required to keep them warm and fed, a girl and her grandmother try to bully a leprechaun into revealing where he hid his treasure; he in turn tricks them into doing their work. The illustrations, which feature pleasantly traditional-looking art superimposed onto hyper-realistic backgrounds, detract from this otherwise satisfying tale of comeuppance.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. Humble Old Pat and boastful Young Tom travel to compete for the title of "Finest Harpist in Ireland." Along the way, Young Tom tries to sabotage Old Pat's chances to win, but Old Pat's kindness toward a leprechaun is rewarded and Young Tom gets what he deserves. The just ending is never in doubt in this story of kindness rewarded. The lively illustrations aptly convey the Irish setting.

Reviewer: Charlotte S. Huck

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Curry. In the St. Patrick's Day contest with rival burg Tralah, young Fiona Riley's idea to paint the town green gives the town of Tralee hope for a win. When Tralee stops painting to help a red-bearded little man in green, it looks like they've sacrificed their chance to win. This folk-like tale of kindness rewarded features a winning heroine and lots of atmosphere in the rich illustrations.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(2) YA After his mother and stepfather are killed in a flood, Andy runs away to live with his irresponsible dad in a squalid Halifax rooming house. They are joined by the Sheehogue--Irish fairies who occasionally pop in to stir up mischief or offer some assistance. This subtle element adds a touch of fantasy to a satisfying novel featuring well-developed characters who are never aware of the role the fairies play in their lives.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(4) 4-6 A twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl brings the fairy folk to their knees when he kidnaps one of their own. The self-conscious revisioning of the fairy world as a sort of wisecracking police force occurs throughout the novel, stealing focus from the one truly intriguing character, Artemis himself. There's a lot of invention here, but it's not used enough in service to the story.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Sandford. Young Michael McKeever discovers a leprechaun in the basement of his Chicago home, but the leprechaun won't share his gold, even though Michael's father is out of work. After the leprechaun and Michael call each other "greedy" and "selfish" they both have a change of heart. Watercolor and pencil illustrations give a homespun feel to the somewhat didactic story.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen