St. Patrick's Journey

Gr 1-3–On a family vacation, author and photographers Calee M. Lee and Jacob Lee sought to follow in the footsteps of St. Patrick. Using hand-painted peg dolls as stand-ins for the historical figures, this book seeks to trace the patron’s journey to Ireland first as an enslaved individual, his escape, and eventual return as a missionary. The author’s notes mentions St. Patrick’s Confessio and “historical documents” but doesn’t provide a more specific list of references. The book includes a map identifying the historical sites mentioned throughout, and instructions for painting the St. Patrick peg doll. The most compelling aspect of the book are the photographs of historical sites across Ireland. For that reason, it is especially disappointing when the landscapes are blurred or fail to show the scope and beauty of the landscape. The most amusing example occurs in the first photograph, as Peg Patrick proudly declares he is standing in front of a statue of the real St. Patrick, the only distinguishable feature of which is the bishop’s mitre. The story focuses on St. Patrick’s travels and holy works to prove that the God of Abraham is more powerful than the druids, and does its part to debunk the myth of St. Patrick driving snakes from Ireland. VERDICT Given the author’s call for readers to “walk in the footsteps of this holy man,” this book may be best suited for family travels or a more specialized religious education environment.–Kelly Topita, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD