Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk

by Gerald McDermott

Book Overview

Tim O'Toole and his wife, Kathleen, are so poor they have not a penny or a potato between them. Even their cats are too skinny for the mice to chase When Tim goes out to find a job, he stumbles upon "the wee folk"--a band of leprechauns who give him gifts to make his fortune. That is, if Tim can keep clear of the evil McGoon family. . . . "The telling here has a well-honed, Irish lilt; the illustrations, by a Caldecott winner, are lively, expressive,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140506756
• ISBN13: 9780140506754
• Release Date: February 1992
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 7.2" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

The Luck of an Unlikely Hero

Tim O'Toole is not exactly an admirable man. He's a lazy man. He's a man who sits around "bemoaning" his fate as he watches his children and wife grow thin from the hunger on them. Even the mice in the house are starving and the cat hasn't energy enough to chase them. It isn't until his wife, Kate, demands that he go off and earn some money that he rouses himself to knock on doors looking for work. So, it's not though any effort of his that his fortune is made, but rather through a chance meeting with a group of "wee folk," or fairies, while he is busily engaged in resting. From them he demands treasure, and they give it in the form of a goose that lays golden eggs, but so feckless a man is Tim O'Toole that he allows a neighbor couple to cheat him out of it. The little people then give him a tablecloth that is always filled with food, but fool that he is, he is cheated out of that as well. The little people even help him get back at the folks who cheated him. Was ever a man less deserving of reward than Tim O'Toole? Not likely. Yet, lazy and useless as he is, he ends up a well-to-do man of means and is the envy of all his neighbors, all on account of his luck. It is a charming story and wittily told, and, because of the unlikely hero of the tale, about as Irish a storyline as one can get. A large part of the charm of the story is the wonderful pencil drawings, rich in texture and color, and evocative in their composition. Each character is distinct and fully realized. It is in the drawings that one gets the sense that, although a worthless fellow, Tim O'Toole is warm and lovable for all that. Highly recommended for ages 3-8.

Gift

This was a gift to a young child who has enjoyed having it read to him and will undoubtedly read it himself when he learns to read!

Leaping Lephrucauns

Tim O' Toole is a fantasy tale about a poor man who goes to find work in the town. When Tim takes a rest he discovers a festive group of wee folk. Tim being a wise fellow indeed he threatens the weefolk to hand over thier treasure and they'll be safe . The weefolk disagree and they give Tim a goose that lays golden eggs. The weefolk warn Tim not to tell a soul. When Tim goes and tells his neighbors , the Magoons.Knowing the great tresures of cherish they steal the goose. When Tim comes crying to the lepracauns they give him a magical tablecloth.Once again the samething happens. Will Tim get his cherished itams back, buy the book to see. The main cahracters are Tim, his wife Kate,the Magoons, and the weefolk. The lesson is becareful who you trust.

The Luck of the Irish.....

"In a little cottage, on a little hill, at the end of a little lane in Donegal, lived Tim O'Toole and his wife, Kathleen. Tim and Kate were so poor they had not a penny or a potato between them. Their children ate porridge for supper. Even the mice were thin from want of food and the cat wouldn't bother with chasing the creatures." So begins Gerald McDermott's Irish folktale, Tim O'Toole And The Wee Folk. Finally Kathleen had had enough, and without even a crumb left to eat, sent her husband out to look for work. Tim O'Toole walked the entire county, but had no luck. But as soon as he sat down to rest, "he heard the faint sound of merry piping and lilting voices raised in song and laughter." Leprechauns! Now Tim knew his luck had changed, for "whoever spies the wee folk in the light of day can demand their treasure". And they rewarded him richly with a goose that lays golden eggs. Unfortunately, on the way home, Tim stopped for the night at McGoon's farm. Unable to control himself, he bragged a bit about his good fortune, and while he was asleep, those nasty McGoons replaced his golden goose with one of their own..... Mr McDermott's wonderfully engaging text is full of magic and humor and begs to be read aloud with a lilting brogue. His amusing, colorful, and expressive illustrations complement the tale and add to all the fun. And as the wee folk come to Tim's rescue and save the day, kids and adults alike will be cheering and laughing out loud. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Tim O'Toole And The Wee Folk is a joyous, good-time, entertaining read that will bring out a little bit of Irish in each of us.