Finn MacCool For A Wee Lad
December 3, 2019 10:41 AM Subscribe
During my Thanksgiving visit to the clan, my nephew excitedly told me alllllll his family's visit to Ireland, and he was especially excited to tell me about their visit to Giant's Causeway and a story he heard there about the Irish hero Finn MacCool. Help me nurture this interest with a book for Christmas!
He's about the same age now as I was when I first really started exploring our family's Irish ancestry, and he's equally as excited as I was, so Auntie EC is really stoked about this and wants to encourage his interest. The only problem is that he's eight, which is sort of an in-between age - all of the "Kids' Books on Irish Legends" are either a little babyish or a little too old, and many of the ones I'm finding seem to be more about fairies and leprechauns as opposed to being retellings of the different myth cycles. My own reading-up on the myths came in college, and there is no way the books I've read would suit him.
The ideal for me would be to find a kid-friendly book of the stories from the Fenian Cycle, since he was super into Finn MacCool (and come on, who wouldn't be with a name like that), but I'll consider books that include that alongside tales from the Ulster Cycle as well.
Hit me with your recs. Go raibh maith agat!
He's about the same age now as I was when I first really started exploring our family's Irish ancestry, and he's equally as excited as I was, so Auntie EC is really stoked about this and wants to encourage his interest. The only problem is that he's eight, which is sort of an in-between age - all of the "Kids' Books on Irish Legends" are either a little babyish or a little too old, and many of the ones I'm finding seem to be more about fairies and leprechauns as opposed to being retellings of the different myth cycles. My own reading-up on the myths came in college, and there is no way the books I've read would suit him.
The ideal for me would be to find a kid-friendly book of the stories from the Fenian Cycle, since he was super into Finn MacCool (and come on, who wouldn't be with a name like that), but I'll consider books that include that alongside tales from the Ulster Cycle as well.
Hit me with your recs. Go raibh maith agat!
I can't help with Finn McCool but if you'd like to feed your nephew's love of more Irish places like the Giant's Causeway, Island of Adventures is aimed at 7 - 10 year old readers. I've put it in my niece's Christmas pile.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:13 AM on December 3, 2019
posted by DarlingBri at 11:13 AM on December 3, 2019
This is a rather idiosyncratic take, but he might enjoy The Wizard Children of Finn.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:56 AM on December 3, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 11:56 AM on December 3, 2019 [4 favorites]
Tomie DePaola (of Strega Nona fame) has a great edition of Fin M'Coul. He also has a couple other books about Irish folklore.
posted by luckdragon at 12:13 PM on December 3, 2019
posted by luckdragon at 12:13 PM on December 3, 2019
I remember liking The High Deeds of Finn MacCool when I was a kid, but I haven't read it in decades and can't swear it's aged well. I had a cassette of some Finn MacCool stories that I loved, but unfortunately I can't remember where it came from; probably British, probably recorded before 1980, narrated by a woman; I'll keep pondering.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
You may have luck finding any of the above suggestions on Blackwell's site. Free delivery. And fast service.
posted by Enid Lareg at 1:06 PM on December 3, 2019
posted by Enid Lareg at 1:06 PM on December 3, 2019
Perhaps not what you're looking for, but Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts by Craig Phillips has ten traditional stories retold in graphic novel form, including the story of the Giant's Causeway, and it is awesome.
posted by nomis at 1:27 PM on December 3, 2019
posted by nomis at 1:27 PM on December 3, 2019
I was going to recommend the Finn MacCool book that my grandparents brought for me from Ireland when I was a kid: The Cool MacCool, but, uh, it looks like it's $105 on amazon?
posted by sleeping bear at 2:27 PM on December 3, 2019
posted by sleeping bear at 2:27 PM on December 3, 2019
I would second the Hounds of the Morrigan in general, but I think it may be a bit too long for an 8 year old. (The page count is about the same as one of the later Harry Potters and at least the edition I read as a kid had fairly small print too.)
My go-to book on Irish legends for kids tends to be Yvonne Carroll’s Irish Legends for Children, particularly as I think it used to be available in multiple languages. However, Favourite Irish Legends may be better.
Gill Books and O'Brien Press are both Irish publishers with a selection of Irish mythology/ history books for kids. O'Brien Press have previews of most of their books, if you want to get an idea of what the contents/reading level/font is like.
posted by scorbet at 2:41 PM on December 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
My go-to book on Irish legends for kids tends to be Yvonne Carroll’s Irish Legends for Children, particularly as I think it used to be available in multiple languages. However, Favourite Irish Legends may be better.
Gill Books and O'Brien Press are both Irish publishers with a selection of Irish mythology/ history books for kids. O'Brien Press have previews of most of their books, if you want to get an idea of what the contents/reading level/font is like.
posted by scorbet at 2:41 PM on December 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
This is a rather idiosyncratic take, but he might enjoy The Wizard Children of Finn.
I would absolutely second this - I loved that book when I was his age. There is also a sequel - The Lost Legend of Finn.
They obviously aren't the same as an introduction to the actual legends (and I didn't know enough about the legends to compare), but they are a great introduction to the feeling of early medieval Ireland and really good stories. I've remembered them for years.
posted by jb at 9:51 AM on December 4, 2019
I would absolutely second this - I loved that book when I was his age. There is also a sequel - The Lost Legend of Finn.
They obviously aren't the same as an introduction to the actual legends (and I didn't know enough about the legends to compare), but they are a great introduction to the feeling of early medieval Ireland and really good stories. I've remembered them for years.
posted by jb at 9:51 AM on December 4, 2019
Best answer: Searching for Fionn Mac Cumhaill will give more authentic hits and as suggested above, seeing what Irish publishers are putting out. I like Eithne Massey for it, with correct (not anglicized/bowdlerized) names and pronunciation help . I also hear good things about Eddie Lenihan.
It might be a little older than your kiddo is good for, but this is otherwise the one I would advise. If kiddo can be a little brave or grow into it then there’s not much going to beat Names upon the Harp by Marie Heaney. That said I am going to be picking up previous youth laureate Niamh Sharkey’s delightful looking book.
posted by Iteki at 1:29 PM on December 4, 2019
It might be a little older than your kiddo is good for, but this is otherwise the one I would advise. If kiddo can be a little brave or grow into it then there’s not much going to beat Names upon the Harp by Marie Heaney. That said I am going to be picking up previous youth laureate Niamh Sharkey’s delightful looking book.
posted by Iteki at 1:29 PM on December 4, 2019
Best answer: I'd second the recommendation for Eddie Lenihan, he used to appear on Irish tv telling stories as he is a seanchai, but he also has books, including Fionn Mac Cumhail's Tale from Ireland
posted by Fence at 7:57 AM on December 7, 2019
posted by Fence at 7:57 AM on December 7, 2019
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