Patrick O'Kelley was a peddler with the gift of gab. It was said that when he kissed the Blarney Stone, a piece must have come off and got caught in his teeth, so great was his ability to spin a fantastic tale. But when O'Kelley boasted that he "could spout better Blarney than the king of the leprechauns himself," he soon learned that it was better not to anger the little people. Brought to the leprechauns' fabulous underground realm, he was given a beautiful emerald ring with a very unusual quality: it made its wearer speak only the truth. Unable to remove the magical "Ring of Truth," Patrick O'Kelley confronted the reality that his days of spouting Blarney were over. Or were they...?

Like her subsequent Fiona's Luck, in which a clever lass tricks the king of the leprechauns, Teresa Bateman draws upon Irish folklore to create this original tale. I have it on good authority that leprechaun-tales are far more popular with Irish-Americans, than with the Irish themselves, but this engaging tale will undoubtedly appeal to a wide variety of children. The illustrations by Omar Rayyan are done in watercolor, and have numerous references to illuminated manuscripts - decorative capital letters, gorgeous borders - while also resembling some of the fantasy art of Brian Froud, among others. ( )

A wonderful Irish folk tale about the wisdom of not stretching the truth. Fantastical illustrations too! ( )

I enjoyed the story, and the art work was interesting, although not as engaging as some of the other picture books I have read. I think the fuzziness of the images detracted from my ability to focus on the art and story.

This story was an absolutely hilarious adaptation of the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" (or would BWCW be an adaptation of this?). Lots of things to capture my children's imagination and for them to ask about, there was a good lesson to teach, and it was fun to read. I highly recommend this book. ( )