Leprechauns, shamrocks, and green everything are the order of the day on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, which honors the patron saint of Ireland. This mini-book (PDF) readily lends itself to theatrical adaptation. Divide the class into small groups. Assist groups in making finger or stick puppets of the characters in the story. (Stick puppets can be created easily by making enlarged photocopies of the mini-book pages, coloring and cutting out the characters, and taping them to craft sticks.) Students can also create a simple shoe-box stage or poster-board scenery to use as a backdrop for their story retellings.

How to Make the Mini-Book
1. Copy the pages for the books on standard 8 ½-by-11-inch paper, making single-sided copies.
2. Trim off the shaded edge of each page. Then cut apart the mini-book pages along the solid lines. You should have 8 pages (including the cover) for each book.
3. Put the pages in order with the cover on top. Staple the pages on the left side to make the book.

Mini-book pages (PDF)