Books with title The Luck of the Irish

Twelve-year-old Dan Caldwell is a young rider with big ambitions – to one day show jump for Ireland. But how will he ever be good enough when the only ponies he has to ride are tired riding school mounts at the end of a long day? His mam Mairead knows first-hand just how difficult it is to make a living from horses, and keeps quietly hoping that her son’s dreams will fade into something more realistic.When Olympic show jumper Deacon O'Callaghan arrives at their local show and happens to see Dan ride, he is impressed by the boy's courage and natural ability. He enlists Dan to ride his daughter's new pony, a talented but bold show jumper that is too much for the young girl to handle, with the aim of qualifying to compete at the Dublin Horse Show.It’s the opportunity that Dan has been waiting for, but there are several obstacles in his path. Can he help the pony to reach its potential? Can he convince his mother to let him take his chance? Most important of all, can he possibly live up to Deacon’s expectations?

On The Luck of an Irish Sailor is a fantasy tale of how a young Irish sailor, while cast adrift in the ocean sea, is then saved from drowning by both the efforts of a mermaid princess and his Irish luck. The tale was inspired by the stories I heard as a little boy while sitting at the kitchen table at our large Italian family dinners. My grandpa and uncles would tell tales of fishing the waters off the Coast of California and up through the inland passages of Alaska. I recall my grandpa Angelo telling of the scary time when he was a cabin boy of 12 and was captured by pirates while working on the tall ships. And then there was the never-ending argument of whether the strange creature my grandpa and my uncle Cam had caught off the coast of Alaska were either a mermaid or a merman. ReadersFavorite Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite April 2017 "Author Mike Mirabella spins a wonderful yarn of an Irish sailor with tales from the ocean blue in "On The Luck Of An Irish Sailor." Using rhyme, he reveals the story with words that sound like a pirate in an Irish pub. The sailor who speaks like a pirate saw the slap of a mermaid’s tail during a storm. On The Luck Of An Irish Sailor is a wonderful tale of adventure on the high seas. The sailor tells how his ship tipped over during a storm and he was saved by a mermaid and the luck of the Irish. In a story that’s been passed down for generations, author Mike Mirabella takes us on an adventure deep beneath the ocean. Could it really happen?" Folklore. That’s the feeling I got as I glanced at the sepia-toned illustrations. In accurate depictions of the story, illustrator Amy O’Hanlon uses hues of blues, grays, and browns to depict the storm. On other pages, she uses beige and brown tones to create the illusion of an older picture book—like a classic story that’s been around for years. "On The Luck Of An Irish Sailor" is a wonderful story by author Mike Mirabella. This book is bound to be a classic tale treasured by children and adults alike. Readers will be hooked with the first stanza and won’t want to put this page-turner down. This book is highly recommended. There are also Celtic song sheets at the back of the book with music notes so you can sing or play along."

A young Irish sailor cast adrift in the sea. A mermaid princess and Irish luck save him from drowning. This adventurous tale owes its inspiration to stories Mike Mirabella heard as a little boy. His sizeable Italian clan swapped stories during family dinners at the kitchen table. "My grandpa and uncles would tell tales of fishing the waters off the coast of California and up through the inland passages of Alaska. I recall Grandpa Angelo telling of the scary time when he was a cabin boy of 12 and was captured by pirates while working on the tall ships. And then there was the never-ending argument between my Grandpa and Uncle Cam: what was the strange creature they caught off the coast of Alaska? A mermaid or a merman?" I was (and still am) that wee lad in our story, sitting wide-eyed, half-believing, yet never tiring of hearing those wonder-filled stories told by those salty, old jacks." Using the rhyming style of a pirate in an Irish pub, our sailor spins his yarn about seeing the slap of a mermaid's tail during a mighty storm. "On the Luck of an Irish Sailor" is a beautiful tale of adventure on the high seas. In a story that's been passed down for generations, author Mike Mirabella takes us on a magical experience deep beneath the ocean. Could it happen? Did it happen? Folklore - that's the feeling sparked by the illustrations by illustrator Amy O'Hanlon. She uses hues of blues, grays, and browns to depict the fierce storm accurately. On other pages, O'Hanlon uses beige and brown tones to create the illusion of an older picture book-like a classic story that's been around for years. Enjoy the bonus song sheets and sing along with this mostly true story of adventure, redemption, and "The Luck of an Irish Sailor."