Fiona's Luck (review)

Once upon a time, there was so much luck to be had in Ireland that it was thick in the air and "anyone could grab a handful of it." When the big folks arrived, however, they soaked the luck up, so the leprechaun king gathered it up and kept it locked in a chest at his side. Now a clever girl named Fiona has figured out why the Irish people are plagued with bad luck, and she's determined to take action; she publicly fakes a whole lot of luck and gains the attention of the leprechauns. In a duel of wits with the leprechaun king, Fiona cunningly tricks him into setting luck free once again. This well-crafted original tale is both logical and fanciful; the abundance of luck followed by the shortage of luck provides a creative premise for a tale, and Fiona proves a resourceful heroine. Murphy's illustrations, rendered in acrylic, watercolor, and gel medium, contrast softly shaping landscapes with sharp, bright-eyed figures (though the leprechauns are rather stiff and doll-like). Shifts in color reflect the changing tone of the story and establish the verdant nature of the countryside without resorting to an unending panorama of Kelly green. Pair this with Willey's Clever Beatrice (BCCB 10/01) for an up-close look at formidable females outwitting legendary folk.