Little Jamie wakes up early on St. Patrick's Day, disgruntled he's considered too little to join in the parade. He sets out with his dog and they traverse the town and ultimately climb the hill to where the festivities will be. He comes home and falls asleep before anyone wakes up, and his brother thinks he's too sleepy to come to the parade. But after all, what do they know?

fair - ML

Eve Bunting tells this story in third person narration. Jamie Donovan is a young Irish boy who wants to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade. However, everyone tells him that he is too small. Jamie sets out to prove that he is big enough. This book is a good model for incorporating culture and tradition into a story. ( )

Resentful at being excluded from marching in the local St. Patrick's Day parade, young Jamie Donovan awakens extra early on the big day and, together with his dog Nell, walks all the way to the top of Acorn Hill by himself. On his way he meets up with a number of people from his small Irish village. Having proved that he can do it, he heads home again, having left a little flag on the dancing stage to show he was there...

A sweet holiday story about a young boy with a can-do spirit, St. Patrick's Day In the Morning was first published in 1980, and has a somewhat old-fashioned feeling to it. The Ireland depicted here, in both text and artwork, felt somewhat historical to me, rather than contemporary, which makes sense, as author Eve Bunting moved away from (Northern) Ireland in the 1950s, and illustrator Jan Brett is American. Leaving that aside - and it isn't necessarily a criticism - the story were was engaging, and will no doubt strike a chord with many young children, who will identify with Jamie's experience of being told he is too young for something. The artwork is cute, although not Brett's strongest. Recommended to anyone looking for solidly engaging stories about St. Patrick's Day for younger children. ( )

Sweet little story and his determination. A wonderful read aloud
Curricular Connections:
*Author study
*Illustrator study
*Traditional Irish culture