THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY ALPHABET

Symbols of Ireland lead a jaunty tour through the ABCs.

Simple scenes with a surfeit of green shades populate this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink list about the “Day When Everyone Is Irish.” Saunders starts with the Apostle of Ireland (“another name for the real St. Patrick”) and ends on “zoom, which is what you’ll have to do if you want to catch a leprechaun.” In straightforward matching illustrations, racially diverse characters celebrate alongside light-skinned, red-headed leprechauns. (A breakout box states, “There are no female leprechauns.”) The exact number of leprechauns is unspecified, which might frustrate readers trying to meet the challenge to “find them all.” Joke enthusiasts will find some minor hits here (“What is a leprechaun’s favorite type of music? Shamrock ’n’ roll” and “What is a leprechaun’s favorite part of the house?” “The paddy-o”). The cheerful introductory text features plenty of exclamation points and even a few words in Gaeilge. Mixing fact and fiction, the text asserts that tiny Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon, “is the only place leprechauns can be found outside of Ireland.” Saunders briefly touches on history, with a quick look at the Irish struggle for independence.

A fun St. Patrick’s Day read-aloud.