Edna Barth has made a name for herself creating engaging nonfiction books about the origins of holidays from Easter to Halloween. This may sound like a simple enough task, but books like hers are few and far between, making her concise and well-researched titles all the more valuable to parents, educators, and students alike. For Barth, it seems, the calendar year swims with holiday colors. "Sometime in February," her St. Patrick's Day book begins, "the hearts and cupids of Valentine's Day give way to shamrocks and leprechauns, Irish harps, flags and shillelaghs, clay pipes and top hats. The color green floods the windows of card shops, candy stores, and departments that sell gifts, souvenirs, and decorations for holidays. St. Patrick's Day is coming." Barth goes on to explain the origins of this ancient Irish holiday, including a 15-page chapter on St. Patrick himself; the history of this partly religious, partly festive holiday through the centuries; and a lively discussion of the symbols we associate with the greenest of green days--leprechauns, Irish music, top hats, shamrocks, shillelaghs, and more. A list of stories appropriate to read around March 17, a bibliography of sources, and an index round out this solid, simply illustrated exploration of the ins and outs of St. Patrick's Day. (Ages 9 and older)