Irish Animal Folk Tales For Children

How did a tiny wren manage to be crowned King of the Birds? Why did giant Finn McCool's favourite dogs change into mountains? What happened to turn a friendly cat into a cruel fiend who plotted to destroy mankind? Irish Animal Tales for Children is packed with ghostly goings-on, weird characters and wonderful animals. Irreverently told by award-winning storyteller Doreen McBride, these stories are not for the faint of heart!

Stories and animals have long travelled the same routes. Through our heritage of charming, quirky and profound tales, you will find yourself re-acquainted with Britain's wondrous fauna. Find out how hedgehog ended up with spines and what makes him scuttle so fast, discover how pigs saved a prince from leprosy and why the wealthy lord was so intent on capturing the black fox. Sharon Jacksties' wonderful book combines traditional stories, little-known zoological facts and true anecdotes to create a treasure trove of stories for animal lovers of every kind.

How did a spider change the course of history? What would a body in the chimney want with a lonely old woman? And what terrible deed could make a Celtic warrior cry? North of Ireland Folk Tales for Children is full of mermaids and pishogues, haunted dolmens and plenty of ghosts, rude Celts and bloodthirsty warriors. This collection of weird, wonderful and irreverently told tales from award-winning storyteller Doreen McBride is not for the faint of heart – and certainly not appropriate for adults.

It is said that animals can see the fairy folk coming and going all the time, while humans can only see the Little People at certain times. These entertaining tales for children include The Dog and the Leprechaun, The King of the Cats, and The Cricket's Tale.

Stories and animals have long travelled the same routes. Through our heritage of charming, quirky and profound tales, you will find yourself re-acquainted with Britain’s wondrous fauna.Find out how hedgehog ended up with spines and what makes him scuttle so fast, discover how pigs saved a prince fromleprosy and why the wealthy lord was so intent on capturing the black fox.Sharon Jacksties’ wonderful book combines traditional stories, little-known zoological facts and true anecdotes to create a treasure trove of stories for animal lovers of every kind.

In the four provinces of Ireland there are thirty-two counties. Each county and its people have their own traditions, beliefs and folklore – and each one is also inhabited by the Sidhe: an ancient and magical race. Some believe they are descended from fallen angels, whilst others say they are the progeny of Celtic deities. They go by many names: the good folk, the wee folk, the gentle people and the fey, but are most commonly known as 'the fairies'. These are not the whimsical fairies of Victorian and Edwardian picture books. They are feared and revered in equal measure, and even in the twenty-first century are spoken of in hushed tones. The fairies are always listening. Storyteller Steve Lally and his wife singer-songwriter Paula Flynn Lally have compiled this magnificent collection of magical fairy stories from every county in Ireland. Filled with unique illustrations that bring these tales to life, Irish Gothic Fairy Stories will both enthral and terrify readers for generations to come.

Contains a collection of over fifty Gaelic folktales from the archives of the Irish Folklore Commission including tales of kings and warriors, pagans and Christians, and stories about historical Irish characters.

The special magic of the Irish imagination shines forth in these fourteen authentic folktales. These tales are filled with the mystery and adventure of a land of lonely country roads and isolated farms, humble cottages and lordly castles, rolling fields and tractless bogs. They tell of ghosts and giants, of strange happenings and wondrous deeds, of fairies and witches and of fools and kings. Above all in these stories there is a sense of the full wonder of a world where the marvellous and the unexpected can always happen, and nothing is ever quite as it seems.