Fiona's Luck
by Teresa Bateman; Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
Published by Charlesbridge
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Reviewed by Vanessa Lee
Once, there was luck floating in the air all over Ireland for anyone to grab when they needed it, thanks to the leprechauns. When humans came, however, the luck stuck to them more than to anyone else and the leprechaun king became worried that there wouldn't be enough luck left for the leprechauns. He sent out his people to collect the luck so he could keep it safe, but they followed his orders too well and collected all the luck, not just the leprechaun luck. There was not a drop of luck to be found in Ireland at all.
Things got very bad. The Irish had no milk, no eggs, and no potatoes. All they had was a woman named Fiona. She wasn't lucky or strong, but she was smart and clever and she found a way to make everyone think she had luck. Rumors flew about Fiona's good fortune and when the leprechaun king heard them, he wanted Fiona's luck for his own.
Thus began the challenge of luck versus wit. The leprechaun king tried to take Fiona's luck and Fiona tried to trick the leprechaun king into releasing the luck for all of Ireland to use again.
Fiona's Luck is a delightful novel for young readers. The pictures are vibrant and well-drawn, with clever details that children will notice. Young children will enjoy looking at the pictures and listening as someone reads Fiona's Luck to them, while slightly older children will enjoy reading the story for themselves.
Bateman keeps the vocabulary in the story simple, but she doesn't talk down to her readers and she doesn't hesitate to use more challenging words such as "trice" or "forfeit" when the story calls for it. Children in the recommended range (4-8 years old) should understand most of the words used, but Fiona's Luck will likely also provide an opportunity to expand their vocabulary slightly.
The story and illustrations are entertaining enough that adults will enjoy reading Fiona's Luck with children.
Armchair Interview says: This is a well-written, well-drawn, fun story that shows the importance of relying on yourself rather than trusting to luck.