The Children’s Laureate of Ireland Siobhán Parkinson captures the deep and special magic at the heart of these seven stories taken from the rich story traditions of Ancient Ireland. Taken from oral story telling traditions they are perfect for reading aloud as they bring to life many themes including transformation and true love in Butterfly Girl and the magic of a pure white doe in The Enchanted Deer. Oleyn Whelan brings the scenes to life in her glowing illustrations.
Spellbound Tales of Enchantment from Ancient Ireland Synopsis
Eight ancient legends of Ireland, told for younger children by an acclaimed Irish writer and reviewer. The stories are all linked by themes of magic and enchantment, and are perfectly matched by Irish illustrator Olwyn Whelan's brightly coloured and decorative paintings.
The stories included are: Butterfly Girl;The Children of Lir;Labhra with the horse's Ears;The Enchanted Birds; Cu Chulainn and Emer; The Enchanted Deer; The Land Under the Waves; Oisin in Tir na nOg.
Enchantment and magic are interwoven in these beautifully told stories, and the scene is wonderfully set by Olwyn Whelan's delicate and intricate illustrations. Parents in Touch
The perfect introduction to Irish folk tale. Books for Keeps
Whelan's fabulously colourful watercolours are a perfect match for Parkinson's skilful versions of the old tales. Irish Times
Lavishly and delightfully illustrated...An enchanting book....Siobhan Parkinson is a prolific, versatile and extremely talented writer, who deserves to be much better known in the UK. Armadillo
The language used is, as expected, skilful so that the words flow smoothly as the tales are explained in an absorbing way, drawing in the young listener as the stories unfold. Historical Novel Society
Wrought in a compelling way ... An excellent introduction to Irish myth. School Librarian
Author
About Siobhan Parkinson
Having grown up in Galway and Donegal, Siobhán Parkinson has lived most of her adult life in her native Dublin. She studied English literature and German at Trinity, and went on to take her doctorate in English literature. She has worked for many years as an editor, a profession that very closely resembles that of writing. She concentrates more on her writing these days, but is also a very active member of the writers-in-schools scheme, and she gives workshops in creative writing and talks on her work in all sorts of situations. She has held various writing residencies and she is currently co-editor of Inis -- The Children's Books Ireland Magazine. Her books have won numerous awards and been translated into lots of languages, her favourites being Latvian, because it is so different, and Japanese, because it is back to front.
