Quick Booktalk
This is a leprechaun-themed rewrite of Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.
About the Illustrations
The pictures are very commercial-looking, cartoonish illustrations of three leprechaun boys, two leprechaun girls, their mother, their doctor, and the various locations where they hide. Rainbows, gold, and clover provide the St. Patrick's Day atmosphere.
Story Time Possibilities
I wanted to read this book at story time right before St. Patrick's Day, but unfortunately the rhyme scheme makes it impossible to read aloud well. In the original Five Little Monkeys, the final two lines of each verse rhyme: "Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed." This book keeps the word "said" in that same spot, but makes no attempts to rhyme anything with it. The result is very awkward and unpleasant-sounding text. (My eight-year-old tried reading it aloud, and she was not impressed.)
Reader's Advisory
My twins are so hard on board books that I'm probably going to give this to them and let them tear it to shreds in the hopes it might prevent a book I like better from biting the dust quite so soon. I really don't want to read it to them, however, because the rhyme scheme bothers me so much. I do think it will be fun to just talk about the illustrations, though. I do want them to learn the word leprechaun.
Disclosure
I received a review copy of Five Little Leprechauns from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.
