This second book about Lucky O'Leprechaun purports to explain how leprechauns got to America. Lucky's love for gold leads to his becoming an unwilling stowaway in Moira's suitcase, and he inadvertently travels to America with the O'Sullivan sisters. The narrative strains for a folksy tone; and the awkward draftsmanship and washed-out colors in the illustrations lessen the tale's effectiveness.

PreS-Gr 1-This prequel to Dillon's Lucky O'Leprechaun (Pelican, 1998) takes readers back to the days when the Great-aunties introduced in that book-Bridget, Kathleen, and Moira-were wee lasses in Ireland. When the girls' parents, who have gone ahead to make a home in America, finally send for them, they beg elderly Uncle Patrick, who has been looking after them, to come along. Though he has no money for a ticket, he produces the family treasure (a crown, torque, and bag of gold that belonged to Brian Boru himself) and gives it to the girls. They beg him to use it to pay for a ticket, but he hides the gold in their suitcases. The smell of gold lures Lucky O'Leprechaun, who gets trapped in the luggage. The children find the gold and leave it behind for their uncle. Once in America, they find Lucky and get three wishes. Though Dillon's flat watercolor cartoons are nothing extraordinary, children will enjoy the humor in the story. A gentle introduction to American immigration.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.