Holiday House, 1999
Snakes pop out of every page of this story, slithering through scenes that play on common snake fables and phobias. They show up in the drinking well, under a bedcover, even in an outhouse. Clever Patrick shoos them into the sea, all but one that stubbornly clings to the land. The chase is on, through twists and turns, as Patrick tries to connive the creature into a box, then into the sea. Will's illustrations set off the challenge in bright reds for the snake, bright greens for the verdant Emerald Isle. The pace of the story is controlled by page composition: many small scenes in continuous narration for the patient deliberation of St. Patrick, large full-page images for climactic moments. In the end, of course, Patrick wins out and the snake that first appeared as a serpent entwined in an Eden-like tree becomes the fabled sea serpent of Loch Ness. The final pages show Patrick haloed with success, as he earns his sainthood. Reviews Amazon.com Those pesky Irish snakes! Patrick (pre-sainthood) could ignore their naughty behavior for a while, but when they start teasing his poor old dog Finbar, well, that is just the last straw. It is clearly time to haul out his magic bell and rid the land of this pestilence! But before Patrick can rest too heavily on his laurels, he discovers that the biggest, oldest, sneakiest snake in all of Ireland has resisted his magic and is now bound and determined to make his life miserable. Whenever Patrick's back is turned, the sly serpent steals swigs from his mug of buttermilk, peeks in the window while he is entertaining friends, or hides under his quilt at night. Patrick's attempts to outsmart and outrun his sinuous enemy through all of Ireland and Scotland culminate in a surprising, indeed extraordinary, turn of events. Sheila MacGill-Callahan's lively, lilting version of the well-known story of Saint Patrick (combined cleverly with another familiar tale) is a fantastic introduction to Irish and Scottish legend. Will Hillenbrand's gorgeous mixed-media paintings invite the reader to slither gleefully along on this battle of wills. (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie Coulter
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