Stories inspired by the Boyne Valley from long, long ago, part of an ancient oral tradition, handed down from generation to generation and written down by the Christian monks of medieval Ireland. Stories include:
The Origin of the Boyne
The Foster-child of Aonghus
Aonghus and the Swan Maiden
The Adventures of Art
The Magic Branch
The Hag of Loughcrew
Fionn fights a Monster
The Salmon of Knowledge.
Table of Contents:
How the Boyne Was Born
Fionn’s First Adventures
The Battle of the Hags
How Aengus Tricked the Dagda
Art’s Quest Beyond the Seas
The Magic Branch
About the Author :
Eithne Massey has had a lifelong attachment to the legends and traditions of her native Ireland. Her best-selling books of Irish myths and legends for children include what is fast becoming a classic picture book, Best-Loved Irish Legends, and of a number of novels for young readers, among them the award-winning Blood Brother, Swan Sister, with its backdrop of the Battle of Clontarf, and the skilful story of the man behind the rebel leader in Michael Collins: Hero and Rebel. Her other books include Legendary Ireland: Myths and Legends of Ireland and The Turning of the Year.
Lisa Jackson lives in Dublin. She works in comic books, illustration and game design and has illustrated books such as Best-Loved Irish Legends, Ice Dreams and The Henny Penny Tree.
Review :
crisply written and presented … superbly supported by Lisa Jackson’s brightly coloured illustrations … a fine introduction to Irish mythology and ancient places
beautiful stories … a book for keeps
Of the seven Celtic nations, Ireland is the richest in legend and lore. After centuries of storytelling, mythology remains at the core of Irish culture today. Thanks to author Eithne Massey and illustrator Lisa Jackson, eight of those magical tales – originally put to pen by medieval Christian monks – will be preserved and passed along to another generation. As the Japanese discovered with anime, vibrant colours and text engage, entertain and educate young readers better than any other medium. Here, imaginations will ignite with stirring stories of The Origin of the Boyne, Aonghus and the Swan Maiden, The Hag of Loughcrew and more. Recommended for youngsters aged 7 and up, this is a fantastic way to introduce children of all ages to classic Celtic culture
beautifully illustrated
will be enjoyed by children as young as three and as old as 10 years of age and the parents reading them to their children will also get pleasure from them … beautifully produced with large font, double spacing and colourful, age appropriate illustrations by Lisa Jackson. In the classroom a visualiser could be used to project the book onto the whiteboard … I would use this book with first, second and third classes … would make a lovely present
full of movement. Ideal stories to read aloud to accompany a visit to the area or a school project
magical
Ireland is a land rich in myth and magic so any book of Irish legends is calling on fertile sources. These are stories inspired by the Boyne Valley from long, long ago … here retold in an accessible and easy to read format for young readers … Beautifully illustrated, this is a good collection of stories which are perfect to read aloud
the best part? Each story teaches you how to pronounce Irish words or names that feature so you know what you're saying is actually right!
would work wonderfully read aloud in the classroom … rich and magical … a great resource to dip into while studying myths and legends as part of the SESE curriculum/English curriculum … lends itself very well to a writing/drawing workshop on myths and legends
