King Puck

by Michael Garland

Book Overview

This magical story will set Irish eyes a-smiling The happy Irish farmer Seamus and his pet goat, Finny, seek the chance of a lifetime at the King Puck Festival. And as Seamus and Finny's adventure... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006084809X
• ISBN13: 9780060848095
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.2" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Great for Preschoolers

My four-year-old daughter loves this book. It's one we read again and again (sometimes in the same night). Originally I purchased it to read as parent reader in my daughter's preschool, it seemed like just the right length book (teacher advised not to get anything longer than the 4-year-old attention span). The illustrations are beautiful. I practiced again and again before reading it in the classroom, and when I did the kids really enjoyed it. We were planning to donate the book to the class but my daughter cried so hard and didn't want to part with it so I'm buying another one so the kids can enjoy it in the classroom, they loved the pictures. Great story parents will enjoy too.

If goats could talk ...

Even those of us with no claim to Irish blood find ourselves drawn toward shades of green. Here's a winsome new picture book inspired by "Ireland's oldest and most unusual fair." Not at all a retelling of any traditional tale, this is a new folk-like story featuring rosy, rotund Seamus and his frolicsome goat Finny. Seamus often reads aloud to Finny from his books about the legendary Finn MacCool. Still, it's a lonely life on their mountain. When a bit of fairy magic grants Finny the gift of human speech, Seamus proudly spruces up his sprightly goat and leads him down to Killorglin for a special festival. The very best goat in the village will be crowned King Puck, ruler of all Ireland for one day. At first poor Finny is quite overshadowed by the grand competitors--but how many goats know the legend of Finn MacCool? Computer art gives the tale a contemporary look, with crisp foreground figures against a background of muted hills and trees. Young readers will delight in searching for the fairies hidden on nearly every page. The story might have ended with the King Puck pageant, but author/illustrator Garland has provided even better closure for his readers. As King Puck, Finny is entitled to claim a treasure. The mayor offers gold, silver, a mountain of hay. Finny's unexpected choice is one that readers young and old will cherish. "King Puck" is a heartwarming story that celebrates the rich rewards of storytelling.

A wee bit of Irish. . .

I saw this book at a discount store today, picked it up and read it. Loved it! My granddaughters will love this one, as I'll put a bit of an Irish accent on the spoken parts. The kids love that when they get to hear how other country folk talk. Now that my oldest granddaughter can read, she reads to the younger ones, and she'll put the accent on it when she reads it, too. So much fun!!!

Lovely story with excellent art

Our four-year-old son loves this book and it has sparked his imagination to call his younger brother, aged one, to call him King Puck since he is just learning to talk. Art work is fantastic and the story is charming. We read it over and over. If you are a fan of the Jakers! The Story of Piggly Winks public television show, this book is in line with that sort of charm and fancy.