Little Leprechauns

After a long, cold winter, St. Patrick's Day brings the prospect of spring just around the corner. Enjoy these humorous picture books about leprechauns, luck, and legends while learning more about the holiday with your preschooler.

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day is a rhyming romp through two siblings' plans to catch a leprechaun. Tim and Maureen use shiny things to lure one of the little men into their homemade leprechaun traps. Even with help from Mom and Dad, that leprechaun turns out to be trickier than expected. Challenge your child to design and build his or her own leprechaun trap with recycled materials at home.

When Tucker the dog starts St. Patrick's Day on the wrong paw, he thinks his luck has run out in Lucky Tucker. With help from a leprechaun and some four-leaf clovers, a series of simple pleasures turn St. Patrick's Day into Tucker's "luckiest day ever."

Learn some of the history and legends about St. Patrick's Day while reinforcing your child's letter knowledge with S Is for Shamrock. The rhyming text of this alphabet book is paired with more in-depth information on the history and culture of Ireland. It is a great choice for sharing with your preschooler as well as older siblings.

To extend the fun of these stories, try a simple craft project that lets your child dress up as a little leprechaun, then act out some of the stories you shared.  Or try incorporating some sensory play into your day with a simple shamrock craft.