Book: Pete The Cat – The Great Leprechaun Chase

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that is near and dear to my heart. Growing up, my family celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by eating corned beef and cabbage, listening to Irish music, and discussing our Irish heritage. Now that I provide music therapy services for children, reading Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by James Dean has become part of my personal St. Patrick’s Day tradition.

This storybook mentions the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day icons: rainbows, pots of gold, clovers, and leprechauns. The colors and illustrations throughout the book are bright and vibrant, enticing for children of all ages! Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is the use of limericks. According to www.dictionary.com, a limerick is “a kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.” Here’s an example of one of the limericks from the story:

“Once there was a cat named Pete,

Who thought nabbing some luck would be neat.

Then he happened upon

A smart leprechaun,

Who he’ll find quite tricky to beat.”

When I read this book with little ones, I almost always put the limerick to a rhythm; it’s quite fun! If you would rather use a recording of the story, one of my favorites is this one by A Story for Boo on YouTube.

Though this story isn’t specifically set to music, there are many parts of the story where music can be incorporated. One specific example is when Pete is going to try and catch a leprechaun for his friend. His friend wishes for good luck for his band recital. You can ask your child “What song do you think Pete’s friend is going to play?” or “What instruments do you think Pete’s friend will use in his recital?” This is the perfect opportunity to introduce your child to traditional Irish songs such as McNamara’s Band, When Irish Eyes are Smiling, and (my personal favorite) Come By the Hills. These songs (along with many others) use a variety of traditional Irish instruments including the bodhran drum, tin whistle, and Uillean bagpipes. I encourage you to look these instruments up and listen to them being played. They’re very unique!

You can also encourage your child to put themselves in Pete’s shoes: How would they help a friend in need? What would they do with a pot of gold? What tricks would they use to catch a leprechaun? These questions will encourage your child to think outside of the box and will allow them to be creative!

We hope you enjoy using this storybook in your child’s schooling adventures, whether they be attending in-person, remotely, or both! 

If you wish to purchase this storybook on Amazon, click here.

Happy reading!

Blog post written and submitted by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC