Billy Beg and His Bull: An Irish Tale
Grade 2-4-A lively retelling of a popular Irish tale found in many anthologies, including Virginia Haviland's Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Ireland (Little, 1961; o.p.). Billy Beg's mother gives him a magical bull calf just before she dies. When his stepmother tries, through guile, to rid herself of the bull and of Billy, the two escape. The bull gives the young man a magical napkin that provides food when unfolded, a stick that turns into a sword, and a belt that makes him invincible. After a series of adventures in which Billy slays giants with multiple heads and saves a damsel from a dragon, he loses a shoe. A la Cinderella, the princess declares that she will marry the man who fits it, and once reunited, the couple "live happy and well from that day to this." The colloquial language patterns convey the folk roots of the story without overwhelming readers with an Irish brogue. The watercolor illustrations are wonderfully energetic and perfect for all the fight scenes. They also manage, through color and details, to express emotion and foreshadowing. The text is a wee bit long for preschoolers, but primary-age children will enjoy hearing and reading this rousing tale.Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public LibraryCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.