From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9 - Willard's retelling is sensitive to the poet's imagery and preserves such inventions as the darkening flames of Hell and the golden architecture of Pandemonium. It also keeps Milton's chronology: starting "in the middle" and supplying suspense to the well-known tale. Thus, Satan is already in Hell when the story begins. He devises a plan for revenge, quickly escapes, and insinuates himself into Paradise. Only then do readers learn of his rebellion, endure 20 pages of battle (including the diabolical invention of the cannon), and witness the creation of the Earth and humans. Now Adam and Eve (as well as readers) are as aware as possible of God's goodness, so that the Fall immediately after is all the more shocking. In a swift denouement (Willard eschews Milton's stately pacing), Adam sees the future of his kind, and is reassured about the Messiah. Satan's triumph is foiled when he and his followers turn into hissing serpents. Daly's miniatures (small pages often further subdivided) are modern/medieval composites. More emblematic than realistic, they are too tiny to be much more than pleasingly decorative. While this volume lacks the full characterization of the actors, the epic grandeur of Paradise Lost, and other devices of the genre (catalogue, invocation, epithets, etc.), for those who would never read the poem, and for some devout Christians, it will do nicely. - Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. The biblical story of Adam and Eve's eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge and being banished from Eden (necessitating Christ's sacrifice) will be familiar to many readers. But the fall of Satan and his minions from God's grace was never told as well as in Paradise Lost. Here, in a prose retelling, Willard re-creates the epic poem, rendering it more accessible to younger readers. As in Milton's epic, Satan is by far the most interesting and dynamic character, and his complex motivations for evil are nicely elucidated. By borrowing much of Milton's imagery, Willard maintains a sense of poetry. But something is lost in translation. Willard aspires to a novel-like story arc; however, the characters of Adam and Eve are too thin to be supported by anything other than mythic storytelling. Willard does her best with that flaw, which is inherent in the project, and puts forth a capable rendition of Paradise Lost that still intrigues. Readers who otherwise would have missed this work will enjoy mulling over the questions that arise from this story--from the nature of God to the benefits of knowledge. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Long, long ago, before the world was, before minutes ticked and seconds tocked, before beginnings had endings, there was a war in Heaven. In 1656 a great poet begins a new work. Because, at this stage of his life, he is completely blind, he dictates the verses to his daughter, Deborah. It is a monumental work, a magnificent epic of good and evil, a richly inventive narrative that is audacious in its scope and splendor. It is the masterpiece we know as Paradise Lost. Now another poet, Newbery Award winner Nancy Willard, retells Milton's astonishing poem in a prose adaptation that faithfully captures his vivid imagery and cinematic flourish. Thrilling, gorgeous, suspenseful, and yes, even funny -- here is the tale of Lucifer's rebellion, the war between Heaven and Hell, the creation of the world, and the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. Here is the tale of Paradise Lost in a beautifully illustrated edition that will introduce the glory of Milton's achievement to a new generation of readers.

ANNOTATION

A prose retelling of John Milton's narrative poem chronicling the war in heaven between competing angels and how the disobedience of Adam and Eve led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Willard, like the subject of her A Visit to William Blake's Inn, pays homage to John Milton's Paradise Lost. But unlike Blake, whose poem Milton was a kind of intellectual embellishment to Milton's perspective on Genesis, Willard's aim here is to "invite young readers into the tale" of Paradise Lost, and she remains faithful to Milton's version of the events, even as she softens his tone. While Milton begins, "Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit/ Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste/ Brought death into the World, and all our woe," Willard opens with a familiar fairytale form: "Long, long ago, before the world was, before minutes ticked and seconds tocked, before beginnings had endings, there was a war in Heaven." Willard, a poet herself, works in prose here, a choice that in some ways removes some of the passion of Milton's writing, but also allows readers to get past his initial fire-and-brimstone tone to the captivating events within. She also preserves the lyrical qualities of Milton's poetry: "on his right/ The radiant image of his glory sat,/ His only son" becomes, in her words, "On his right hand sat his only Son, who was the radiant image of his Father." Like Milton, she emphasizes Christ's presence from the beginning, offering assurance of a larger plan, and the events in Eden being part of a greater whole. God as depicted here is more vulnerable and sympathetic than in last season's The Garden by Elsie Aidinoff, and the two books together could spark lively discussion. Willard may well achieve her goal of sending readers off in search of Milton's milestone work. Daly's full-color paintings with their primitivist perspectives soften the often violent events, and she creates a visual feast in her landscapes of Eden. Often conceived as triptychs, her graceful images suggest altarpieces. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Mary Loftus

This is a beautifully-illustrated prose retelling of John Milton's famous poem—a good introduction for readers who might not otherwise be familiar with the mythic tale of a battle in Heaven, and the fall of the angel who becomes the king of Hell. Vivid descriptions of Hell, Heaven, and the gulf between the two invoke Milton's poetic imagery, and paint an engaging picture for readers. Satan is gleeful when he learns of a world created by God where he can wreak havoc and attempt revenge against Heaven. The story of Adam and Eve and the banishment from Eden is complemented nicely by full-color illustrations. Young readers may be disturbed by the condemnation of women in this traditional tale: Eve as the instigator of disobedience, woman as temptress, and pain in childbirth as woman's punishment. For mature readers, or those who are reading with an adult who can help interpret the story and discuss the meaning of biblical references. 2004, Atheneum Books/Simon & Schuster, Ages 12 up.

Kirkus Reviews