St. Patrick and the Three Brave Mice

by Joyce Stengel (Various Artists (VMI))

Overview

In this entertaining children's tale, St. Patrick has driven the snakes out of Ireland, but one crafty, clever snake escaped. Ryan, Brian, and Tulla do not want to become tasty mouse meals for this reptile! So they gather their courage and devise a crafty, clever—and risky—plan of their own to help St. Patrick find the sneaky snake.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589806634
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/21/2009
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joyce A. Stengel’s enthusiasm for telling enchanting tales began at an early age. Her mother was a wonderful storyteller and encouraged Stengel’s strong interest in reading and writing. Now an award-winning author of several books and scholarly articles, her deepest passion is still writing for children.

Two of Stengel’s novels, Mystery of the Island Jewels and Mystery at Kittiwake Bay, were selected as Aladdin Scholastic Book Fair Choices. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she is a recipient of the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children’s Literature, presented by the Shoreline Arts Alliance.

Before becoming an author, Stengel earned a degree in nursing from Hartford Hospital School of Nursing. While working as a registered nurse, she began to pursue her dream of becoming a writer by taking English courses in her spare time. She earned a BA in English from the University of Hartford, where she graduated cum laude, and eventually received her MA in English from Central Connecticut State University while working as a writing center coordinator.

Stengel believes that writing is a daily commitment, requiring concentration and creativity. She enjoys the process of putting together imaginative ideas and turning them into an inspiring story that children everywhere will adore. Stengel resides in South Glastonburg, Connecticut, where she and her husband cherish the time spent with their family.

Editorial Reviews

In this original spin-off of a renowned legend, a snake filches the hand bell that St. Patrick had used to drive all the other snakes out of Ireland. Witnessing the deed, the little mouse Tulla follows the snake back to its den, then with help from her two brothers drags the bell back to the sleeping Saint. Up rears the wrathful snake; can Tulla ring the bell before she becomes another victim? The mice look particularly tiny, the snake particularly cunning in Leonhard's shadowy nighttime scenes-and Patrick, awakened, is appropriately awesome in his flowing green and gold-trimmed robes. The briefly told tale doesn't quite match Sheila MacGill-Callahan's The Last Snake in Ireland (1999), illustrated by Will Hillenbrand (an entirely different story), for action or lively language, but it does offer a courageous heroine and a good measure of suspense. (afterword) (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews