Storytelling: O'Sullivan Stew, by Hudson Talbott

I found this while searching for good St Paddy's Day books for storytime, and while it's way too long and convoluted for that use, I really enjoyed the story, and I liked that it was a newer book, and a more modern attempt to create a mythological-style Irish tall-tale.  Also, the illustrations are fantastic!

O'Sullivan Stew
Hudson Talbott
ISBN: 0399231625

The King's men are stealing a beautiful stallion from the witch who lives on the beach, and Kate rushes into the village to get help for her, but the people demur, unwilling to face the King's wrath for a mere witch.  This proves to be a mistake, as an angry and rejected witch causes misery after misery for the villagers, until Kate rallies her family to steal the horse back from the King, to give to the witch, to hopefully uncurse the village.  Got it so far?

Sadly, Kate's family are terrible at horse theft, and they are summarily dragged before the King, who orders their execution, but Kate has been given the gift of blarney, and she's determined that her family will live.  But will the yarns she spins out convince a skeptical King?

I have to say, that without the grand illustrations to carry the story, this wouldn't be nearly as fun and imaginative as it is.  But with them, man oh man, this is a fun read.  Kate is spunky and fun, the witch is justifiably angry at the stupid thoughtless villagers, and the King is increasingly incredulous at this loquacious upstart preventing him from dispensing justice.  Everything of course ends well, and there is even an indication that Kate's blarney might actually be based on fact!

 

Hoofbeats: Lara Series, Kathleen Duey

Hoofbeats: Lara Series, Kathleen Duey
Lara and the Gray Mare.  ISBN: 0525473327
Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly.  ISBN: 0525473335
Lara at Athenry Castle.  ISBN: 0525473408
Lara and the Silent Place.  ISBN: 0142402338

Juv Historic Fiction: Irish 10 year old girl must fend for herself and her filly against the rest of the world.

I had fun reading these, but the very last one had significant typo and editing problems, which hampered my enjoyment at the last.  I also felt that the plotting of the last one was weak, and the telegraphing of the final solution felt both last-minute and heavy-handed.

Short summaries:

Gray Mare: Larach lives in a poor tuath (holding) where her father is the ri (lord) and her aunt is 15, unwed, unbetrothed, and unhappy.  After a raid, the girls are sent to care for the sheep and cows in the upland, and Lara finds the stolen pregnant mare giving birth.  The book ends with both Lara and her aunt being abducted along with the days-old filly.

Moon-Colored Filly: Lara is at a much richer holding, in the care of the lord that took her and her Aunt.  While the Aunt falls in love with the enemy, Lara continues to scheme to get her own freedom and that of the filly.  She learns of the filly's heritage, and finds her own enemy to begin having feelings for.

Athenry Castle: Lara's filly was taken from her, and now she's in disguise in the "city" around the castle as a boy, and working in the stables.  She's been training the filly to run with her, and that may be key to winning her - if she can keep her identity hidden, and manage to win the upcoming race.

Silent Place: Lara's on the run with the filly, in a different disguise, from the disgrace and chaos of Athenry.  She meets with a party of nuns, but decides to leave them to minimize their chances of being harmed through association with a horse-thief.  Her father captures her on the road unknowing (in disguise) so even though she didn't want to bring the filly (and the danger) back to her home, she is stuck following her father.  Her independence is too much for his traditionalism, and her peace-loving desires don't mesh with his need to war.  It all comes to nothing when Lara and her father are caught and returned to Athenry, where Lara manages to save the day with ancient knowledge.  Afterwards, Lara realizes she can't live at home, and she slips off to return to the nuns. 

I only wish that some of the male characters weren't horrid people.  The only ones worth anything are the men from Moon-Colored Filly, one boy at Athenry, and one man from Lara's hometown.  Nearly ALL of the women are portrayed positively, so that was a slight let-down.  It's possible (and better) to have girl power without slandering the guys.

Otherwise, nice quick moral-but-not-Christian set of books for the adventuresome horse-mad reader.