FIONA’S LUCK

Like her Leprechaun Gold (1998), Bateman’s latest exudes Irish flair. In this story, the leprechaun king, distraught because the newly arrived “big folk” have begun to soak up too much luck, has the leprechauns gather up all the luck they can find and lock it away in an oak chest so that he may distribute it as he pleases. With all the luck of the land under the control of the leprechaun king, the big folk suffer many hardships—until a clever woman named Fiona tricks him into putting a hole in the oak chest so that a steady stream of luck pours forth once again into the Irish air for all to share. Children will delight in the cunning way that Fiona triumphs over the leprechaun king, as well as in the rhythmic language of this well-told tale. Using acrylic, watercolor and gel medium, Murphy creates simple, angular figures and soft, rich backgrounds, a combination that perfectly accentuates the folksy charisma of Bateman’s story. (Picture book. 5-9)