Today I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite books of Irish myth. The Names Upon the Harp is a spectacularly illustrated edition of 9 well-known Irish myths such as The Children of Lir and Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge. It is written by Marie Heaney (more on her husband Seamus Heaney's poetry another time) and illustrated by PJ Lynch. This book is great for children and adults alike. The myths are abridged for length but still quite poetic and the illustrations absolutely bring the stories and the land of Ireland to life. Both author and illustrator are Irish and these stories are certainly in good hands here. Also, there is a handy pronunciation guide in the back for that tricky Gaelic. Heaney and Lynch both have other, quite spectacular works. Lynch, in fact, is Ireland's Laureate for Children's Literature. Heaney has written may books of myth including Over Nine Waves: A Book of Irish Legends (for adults) which is on my list to read this March.
I think this may be out of print here in the US and on amazon but you can find a hardback here at The Book Depository with free shipping. And I actually first found this at my local library.
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