Fiona's Luck

by Teresa Bateman, Kelly Murphy (Illustrator)

A greedy leprechaun king gets his comeuppance at the hands of a clever lass in this plucky Irish folk tale." -Publishers Weekly. "Children will delight in the cunning way that Fiona triumphs over the leprechaun king, as well as in the rhythmic language of this well-told tale." - Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Ireland, Fantasy, Fiction, Holiday, Irish Literature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Teresa Bateman was born in Moscow, Idaho, but moved to Washington State when she was three-years-old and that's where she has lived most of her life.

An avid writer and reader, Teresa has been making up stories and poems since she was in grade school. "To me it was as natural as breathing," says Teresa.

In school Teresa would drive her teachers crazy by 'creatively' completing assignments. She always met the letter of their assignment, if not the spirit. She worked hard to inject some humor into her work, knowing that the teachers would be reading hundreds of papers and wanting hers to stand out. It worked.

Teresa took English classes for fun in college and when she applied for a Washington State Teaching credential, the state looked at her transcripts and added an endorsement to teach English through the 12th grade!

Teresa cites her teacher Donnell Hunter at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, as having a big influence on her and her writing. He published a class magazine to which the class submitted their work under pen names. Their grades depended on how many stories were included in the magazine. Teresa submitted under about 15 different pen names--just to be annoying! But she knew her work was being judged on its merits alone. Mr. Hunter encouraged her journal writing and instilled in Teresa good writing habits that she continues to this day.

Teresa served an 18-month mission for her church in Argentina, and taught school for a year in Honduras. She also taught school briefly in St. Mary's, Alaska -- a little bush village with a population of 500 in the winter and 50 in the summer. She has been a librarian in the Federal Way School District in Washington for over 30 years.

Teresa writes every single day. She also works full-time, so that means some days she doesn't write much, but she always writes. When at home, Teresa's special spot for writing has a good view of the lilac bushes outside. A picture of a winding path through gentle rolling hills and meadows hangs on the wall. She tells herself, when stuck for an idea, that the story lies at the end of that path.

Teresa lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Reviews

[Julie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there anything better than a sassy Irish lass who uses her noggin to outwit and outsmart a pack of self-centered leprechauns?

I think not.

Plus, her best friend is a Border Collie.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Fiona is so confident she thinks she can outwit the Leprechaun that took all the luck from Ireland. Now cows can't milk and chickens don't lay eggs and there are no potatoes. Not just anyone wants to square off against King of the Leprechauns. This is one of the spiritual laws of the universe. Declare something and it will happen. She started getting milk and eggs and potatoes even though they weren't real. The Leprechauns were angry so she now had an audience with them. She got to match wits with the King. Lets simply say that some luck returned to the land.

Such a great story about girl power and having faith in yourself. She was capable and she would rather depend on her wits than luck. I don't know if my niece understand how powerful this message is, and I was pleased to read this with her. Both kids enjoyed the little people. In our house, they visit on St Patty's day and leave little green footprints on the toilet seat. haha. This is my sister-in-laws tradition and I love it. So they were excited to see the little people in a story. They were talking excitedly about them coming to the house.

I enjoyed this story. It slightly reminded me of Rip Van Winkle. Luck of the Irish to ya.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute story, all the way around--an adorable, endearing beginning (luck hangs in the air and sticks to the wee folk of Ireland until the "big folk" come and so much clings to them the leprechaun king gets jealous and decides to hoard the luck in his box) to the witty heroine trying to get luck back to her people (gotta love a smart heroine!) and fun, spunky-cute pictures throughout. It's a fun and engaging tale.
ETA 2024: I shared this with my kids and they both gave it rapt attention (something that doesn't always happen with picture books now that they are getting older.) Hooray!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming story about how Ireland's luck is stolen by the leprechauns, and how an enterprising young girl named Fiona tricks their king into giving it back. All the tropes of a classic fairy tale, done very well, and combined with wonderful art!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really love how Fiona is even more clever than I could have been, and how she, as the saying goes, 'makes her own luck' by being so clever. Gracefully written, long enough to feel substantial enough for older readers but not too long for pre-K, charmingly and appropriately illustrated. I will look for more by both author and illustrator.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely cute story about luck.

I recommend.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

An original fairy-tale set in Ireland, Fiona's Luck follows the story of a clever woman who decides to "liberate" good fortune from the leprechaun king, who has been hoarding it. Reminiscent of many traditional tales in which the clever heroine wins the day, this story incorporates some well-known folkloric elements, from leprechauns to the hero's quest.

While I am not receptive, generally speaking, to the current surge of cutesy picture books that approximate folktales, while in reality divorced from any real tradition, this picture-book did not irritate me as some, and would make for an engaging story-hour selection, I believe. The artwork is quite appealing, and captures the magic of the tale.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have way too many picture books at home to read, in addition to a few novels, so if I get to them at all I won’t be writing reviews for all of them, or much of a review. (So, there will be quite a few star ratings only from me in the near future.)

However, I liked this book a lot so I want to write a wee bit about it:

I loved the story of Fiona, a clever girl, who outsmarts a leprechaun king. It’s an engaging original folk/fairy tale. I enjoyed the illustrations too, especially those of Fiona’s dog. This would make an excellent read aloud book, for groups or one to one.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe don't invoke imagery of the Irish Potato Famine and blame it on Leprechauns taking all the luck away.

[Ana LibrariAna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ireland was once a place filled with luck. And then, one day, big folks arrived, and luck clung to them too much for the leprechaun king's liking. So, he decided to take the luck and store it in a chest he kept next to his throne. But the leprechaun's king was too thorough and now there was almost no luck left.

Fiona decide to do something about it and knew that the only way to bring luck back to Ireland, was to trick the leprechaun's king. Can she do it? The leprechaun is known for their cleverness, and trickiness, especially their king.

I love a good story with a sassy, clever girl, and this one is one of my favorites. The story is great and I am amazed by the cleverness of it every time I read it. It really is a battle of wit between Fiona and the leprechaun king. The illustrations are beautiful and really portray the feel of the story. I read this book every year around St. Patrick's Day to a third-grade class and I never get tired of it. It really is a great and smart read-aloud that the kids adore.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our oldest watched this book on Tumblebooks at her school and she insisted that we watch it, too. It's a fascinating story about a clever young woman who helps to bring back the luck to Ireland. Her cunning way of defeating the leprechaun king at his own devious game is quite entertaining and the illustrations are wonderful. We liked listening to the Irish brogue on the narrator (much, much better than I could've done) and watching the pseudo-animation of the illustrated pages on Tumblebooks.

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Ireland story for St. Patrick's day or any day!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, this one. Bateman's prose and Kelly Murphy's gorgeous paintings captured not only my my 6 year-old's imagination, but my own. Little details make this book stand out, like the illuminating glow of stars and the essence of luck, or the textured wall in the leprechaun king's throne room, where the Irish luck he'd stolen was hidden in a chest. The Irish love a battle of wits. This enchanting tale revolves around the premise that no matter the verbal trickery of the leprechaun, he can't outsmart this wise young woman. Isn't there always a grain of truth in folklore?! Great St. Patrick's Day read for ages 4-9.

Spoiler alert - here's what happens: The King of the Leprechauns orders his people to gather up all the luck in Ireland so that it won't continue to cling onto the larger people (humans) that have come to the land. Luck disappears, people go hungry. Fiona pretends she has milk and eggs from her livestock, which infuriates the king, and he sends his little people to bring her underground, to his throne room. There, Fiona spies the chest that she (correctly) suspects holds all the luck. She denies having good luck when the king accuses her, as he wonders how she has gotten luck. The king challenges her to simple games she could win with luck, but she fails to win, and thus wins the bet the king forced her to make. She can wish for one thing, and she wishes for a hole in the chest that can never go away. It happens immediately with leprechaun magic, despite the chagrin of the king. Fiona watches the luck escape into the chamber and thus Ireland's good fortune returns.

[Jasmyn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bateman, T., & Murphy, K. (2007). Fiona's Luck. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Library of Virginia

Tumblebook

When the leprechaun king gathers all the luck in Ireland, the country suffers. There are no crops to harvest and the animals won't provide food either. But a young girl named Fiona comes up with a witty plan to get the leprechaun king to return the luck to the people. I thought the illustrations of this book were entertaining and I really enjoyed the narration on the Library of Virginia website.I really enjoyed this book because it was about Irish folklore which is a topic I personally find interesting. I would use this book in a classroom as just a fun, entertaining book to read to the students maybe around St. Patrick's Day.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were created from acrylic, watercolor, & a gel medium on coventry rag. The colors are beautiful at the beginning--washes of gold, nighttime-out-in-the-moonlight blue, and emerald green. This is a really cute tale about a townsgirl named Fiona who discovers a way to cleverly trick the leprechaun king into granting her a wish. There were only a few places in the text when the authors described things such as the "fine golden thread" of the nets used to catch the luck floating in the air and the leprechaun king's cavern floor "cobbled entirely of jewels" that I wished were more aptly portrayed in the illustrations. Overall, a very enjoyable story.

[Sarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I snagged this up from the library display for Irish stories in celebration for St. Patrick's Day and found myself a bit tongue tied on the first page but as the story progressed, found myself wondering how it would turn out. The ending was not what I'd expected but was well enough in the same direction. I like that she used a bit of history in the story that could lead to further discussion after the story.

My three kids were not as happy with this story as Teresa's Ring of Truth, but I'd still recommend it as a good bedtime story, or even one that a teacher could share in a classroom so that the history hinted at in the story could be divulged upon.

[Luanne Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luck used to be free and plentiful in Ireland to anyone until the big folk arrived and soaked it all up. The king of the leprechauns ordered what luck was laft to be locked in an oak chest. He would distribute it when he chose to do so. Everyone thought Fiona had such great luck. She went to the king to request some luck. He believed she didn't need any, but agreed to put her through three tests to prove himself right. If she really had no luck, then she'd be granted a wish. I liked this story and look forward to reading it to some of my classes.

[Mitch Cowger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiona's Luck pointed out that luck isn't always just luck but using your brain and wit to help you gain luck is the best way to go. The story takes place in Ireland and tells the story of why Ireland is still lucky today and what Fiona did to the leprechauns to provide luck to the rest of the country. The lesson that a child may get from this story is that you shouldn't take things from people, especially if those things make other people happy. And if this does happen, it will always come back to bite you even if you believe that you have prevailed.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story that can be read at St. Patrick's day or any day. It teaches about how you need to use your wits to sometimes make things better. It also can be used to introduce the potato famine in Ireland to younger children, since it is mentioned that the country was unable to grow potatoes from the lack of luck.
The illustrations were excellent, though due to the font size and color it sometimes made reading the words tricky. As the background coloring was distracting which took away from the words.

[Ellie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if all the luck in the world disappeared at once. In this story, Ireland's luck disappears after the Leprechaun King takes it away. This leaves the people facing challenging problems like unproductive livestock. Fiona, a young lady known for being smart, recognizes that the leprechauns are responsible for both the removal of luck. Fiona then uses her intelligence to trick the Leprechaun King into a series of tests, where he eventually allows her a wish. Fiona uses this wish to get the luck back for Ireland. Two major themes in this book were the importance of problem solving and fairness. Firstly, Fiona had amazing problem solving skills, which helped her to accomplish this. It is important to remember in times of stress to calm down and find a way to help the situation. Secondly, the Leprechaun King taking away luck raises a question of whether that was fair or not. It shows that you are allowed to stand up for things that you believe in or disagree with. The genre of this book is traditional literature. Through reading this book, children can learn in an engaging way that through life you may encounter many challenges, but if you use your smarts to help you, you can try to find ways out of sticky situations. Additionally, you can always help out when you find that something is unfair. This was a WOW book for me because the cover looked magical and mystery-like so I was immediately intrigued.

Two literary elements that were used throughout are symbolism and a playful but also thoughtful tone. First, symbolism of luck is used to showcase the opportunity and fairness that the people living in Ireland had, which was taken away from them unpromptedly, making it unfair. Secondly, the playful yet also thoughtful tone highlights the seriousness to respect Fiona’s intelligence, while also making it entertaining enough for children to enjoy.

I would consider this book anti-bias because it advocates for fairness and respect for all.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a charming book. It has the feel of Irish folklore, and brings in a little bit of the historical potato famine. Fiona uses her wit to bring luck back to Ireland.

I liked the illustrations for this book. The words to the story were large enough to read, and the words being spoken were in red. I liked the narration.

[Saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona is a confident girl and never gives up one example is when the leprechauns took all the luck in the skie she didn’t give up like the others she she used resources around her to make her life better which it did she used her last coins to get a cow to get its milk and get buckets so she can carry this shows that no matter what put you down you get back up because you can try

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun tale about a young Irish lass who outsmarted a greedy leprechaun king into sharing good luck with everyone.

Great illustrations.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of how Fiona wins the luck of Ireland back from the leprechaun king. Delightful little story. :)

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story of how Fiona tricks the Leprechaun King into giving all the luck back to Ireland.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: TumbleBooks, Picture Book, Modern Fantasy (Extraordinary Worlds)

Copyright Date: 2007

Estimate of age level of interest: PreK-3rd Grade

Estimate of reading level: 3rd Grade

Brief description: The leprechauns have scooped up all the luck in Ireland, including luck that isn’t theirs. Can Fiona bring the luck back?

Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book:This TumbleBook is an enhanced ebook, offering slightly more features than a traditional ebook, including the option of adding narration. Basic animation, video, and audio capabilities are available. In this experience, the reader is able to pause, fast forward or rewind the book. They can also choose whether to read it themselves or have it narrated for them. Readers can pause the story at any point, and pick up where they left off. Fiona’s Luck is a modern fantasy tale, and is set in an extraordinary world. These worlds often start out in reality and then move to where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. In this case, we start out in the countryside in Ireland, but quickly move to leprechauns capturing all of the luck and keeping it hidden from humans. We then meet the Leprechaun King, and Fiona is forced to undergo test to prove her lack of luck. This book is set in Ireland, and the narrator has read the text in an Irish brogue to add to the enjoyment of the book.

In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?: This TumbleBook platform is wonderful for students who have trouble reading. A second grader who is a developing reader can listen to the narration and follow along with the highlighted text. Since they can listen to the story as many times as they want, without the storyteller getting tired, they can practice along with the narrator and develop fluency. This would also be a wonderful platform for preschoolers through first graders during an independent reading time or free choice with earphones.

Awards if any: N/A

Reviews: Kirkus Reviews (January 15, 2007)
Library Media Connection (October 2007)

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello friends, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, we picked a special book for today: Fiona’s Luck, written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Kelly Murphy, the tale of a brave and clever woman using her wits to restore the luck of the Irish.

In the beginning, when only leprechauns and fair folk roamed Ireland, there was luck in the air, and it would settle upon the magical creatures like nothing at all. But when the much bigger humans came, they would catch most of the luck and leave the fairies with none. So the king of the leprechauns had his people capture up all the luck, and he kept it under magical lock and key. Unfortunately, with no luck at all, this caused the regular folk to suffer as their cows dried up and their crops turned rotten. One woman named Fiona knows what happened to the luck, and intends to help her people, not with brawn or magic or even luck, but with her quick wit and clever mind – but can she outsmart the leprechaun king?

This was a very cute little tale that was perfect for St. Patrick’s: it’s a great mix of traditional Irish folklore and a strong female protagonist using her brain to save the day. The illustrations are lovely, and definitely capture the look and feel of an Irish fairytale. The length might be a bit long for very young readers, but JJ sat through it fine and older readers definitely could. This one is a fun way to celebrate Irish heritage and folklore today, or any day! Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Patricia (Patricia's Particularity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Fiona’s Luck is reminiscent of many folktales it is overall about being clever, witty, and about using one’s own brain. Once upon a time, luck made by leprechauns was free for everyone in Ireland to use. However, the leprechaun king ordered all the leprechauns to gather up all the luck that he felt the humans were using too much of. Soon all the humans in Ireland are left without any luck – potatoes no longer grow, milk is no longer produced, and everyone becomes unhappy. Then a girl named Fiona arrives. After seeing all the bad luck, Fiona decides to create her own luck. In doing so, she uses her brain, her wit and her clever ways to release luck from the leprechauns for everyone to share, including the leprechauns themselves.

Fiona’s Luckis a great read for both children and adults. Teresa Bateman uses simple sentences to portray human characteristics everyone is capable of. More importantly, Fiona’s Luck sends the message that you cannot rely on others do create your luck for you, but you have to put in the work yourself in order to achieve anything.

The illustrations by Kelly Murphy are gorgeous! They are full of colors that can be seen as representative of Ireland itself: rich greens and browns. These colors are also in turn used to show how Ireland was before the luck was freed (drab and dark) and how it was after luck was freed (bright and light).

Fiona’s Luckis a highly recommended read, not just for the St. Patrick’s Holiday, or anyone with Irish heritage, but for every child to learn about hard work and cleverness. Head on over to your local bookstore in Tucson to share this wonderful tale with all children alike!

[Kathryn Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona’s Luck, written by Teresa Bateman, is an excellent read-aloud that will be requested over and over for its luminous illustrations and added touches of magic and wonder. This charming picture book lyrically tells the story of a land where luck is plentiful. However, the country falls into despair when every last bit of luck is locked away with the seal of a spell by the greedy leprechaun king. With the hens not laying eggs and the cows not giving milk, it is evident that something must be done. In comes Fiona, a clever young woman of middling importance, who outwits and defeats the leprechaun king at this own devious game. Fiona restores the luck back to Ireland, which leaves you flipping the book over to smile at the fearless heroine and wanting so much more.

The illustrations in Fiona’s Luck are done impeccably through various techniques: watercolor, acrylic, and gel medium. Pops of emerald green, brown, blues, and gold dominate the pages with a light and dark contrast to effectively show the moods. They represent Ireland in an accurate way by using drab and dark colors to show despair, to the use of bright and light colors when the luck is restored. This tale features a variety of enchanting details that capture children’s imaginations, such as the textured wall in the leprechaun king’s room and the illuminating twinkle of stars. Catchy rhythmic phrases help draw in readers with sayings like, “nets of fine golden thread” and “the king’s cavern floor cobbled entirely of jewels.” Fiona’s Luck is a brilliant story that lets you follow along Fiona’s journey as if you are right there beside her.

[Hannah Fjeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Traditional literature, picture book
Estimate of age level of interest: K-4
Estimate of reading level: AR 4.5, Lexile 810

Brief description: The leprechaun king has horded away all the luck from Ireland, but clever Fiona is going to get it back.

Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book: Values of a culture are often expressed in folklore (Huck, p.112). In this story, Fiona’s cleverness and the importance of having some luck are clearly the highest values of the Irish culture represented in this story. Additinoally, there has been some concern that there are not enough plucky girl characters in folktales (Huck, p.112). This story is a great example of a strong, clever female character in a folktale.

In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience? While the reading level is somewhat high for the audience of this book, it makes a very good read aloud. The illustrations show the luckless “big people” living in a colorless world, the luck is represented by little stars floating in the air, which the leprechauns scoop up with golden nets. Between the compelling main character and the beautiful illustrations, this book is a good choice overall.

Published reviews from professional sources: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 04/01/07, Horn Book Magazine 10/01/07, Kirkus Reviews 01/15/07, Library Media Connection 10/01/07, Publishers Weekly 01/01/07, School Library Journal 04/01/07