Book Description
A picture book of Shakespeare for children! Andrea Hopkins has created a simple, elegant prose rendering of the fateful drama of Romeo and Juliet. Within it, she has skillfully placed some of the most beautiful and famous passages from the play in their original verse form. These passages are easily understood in context. Hopkins's retelling allows young readers to quickly grasp the plot and become engrossed in the story. The striking passages of the original verse make Shakespeare's poetry remarkably accessible and pleasurable. And the richly atmospheric illustrations by award-winning illustrator Marine D'Antibes beautifully evoke all the timeless romance and tragedy of starpcrossed lovers.

Product Description
A picture book of Shakespeare for children! Andrea Hopkins has created a simple, elegant prose rendering of the fateful drama of Romeo and Juliet. Within it, she has skillfully placed some of the most beautiful and famous passages from the play in their original verse form. These passages are easily understood in context. Hopkins's retelling allows young readers to quickly grasp the plot and become engrossed in the story. The striking passages of the original verse make Shakespeare's poetry remarkably accessible and pleasurable. And the richly atmospheric illustrations by award-winning illustrator Marine D'Antibes beautifully evoke all the timeless romance and tragedy of starpcrossed lovers.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Buried treasure on a remote desert island; a ruthless peg-legged sea cook; and an intrepid young cabin boy. Few stories boast so irresistible a plot line or such unforgettable characters as Robert Louis Stevenson's beloved classic, Treasure Island. Illustrated with Alexander Mikhunushev's detailed full-color drawings, Philip Jennings's abridged edition uses Stevenson's own colorful, elegantly simple wording throughout to present all the excitement, mystery, and adventure of murderous plots at sea, surprise attacks on shore, and the ultimate contest between good and evil.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"The permanent popularity, now of mythic intensity, of Romeo and Juliet is more than justified," writes eminent scholar Harold Bloom, "since the play is the largest and most persuasive celebration of romantic love in Western literature." William Shakespeare (1564-1616) based his early romantic tragedy on Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. Shakespeare's resulting masterpiece, in turn, has inspired countless retellings around the world in mediums that include literature, dance, stage, and screen.

SYNOPSIS

This volume describes the stage history of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Loehlin's (English, U. of Texas, Austin) extensive introduction examines shifts in interpretation, textual adaptations, and staging innovations over the course of several centuries. The complete text of the play is then presented, along with detailed commentary on how different directors and performers have modified and interpreted it. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Carol Burbridge

Keep[s] intact the essence of Shakespeare while telling an exciting story that will keep kids' attention.... Highly recommended.

John Warren Stewig

Gets inside the nature and motivations of these adult play characters some might think too remote from children's lives. —Winter 2000

School Library Journal

Gr 5-12-- These three plays have been skillfully abridged by Garfield. His method is to retain Shakespeare's own language but to trim and cut either by giving only the early lines of longer passages, by editing scenes that involve secondary characters, or by cutting some scenes altogether. Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream stand up well. All of the well-known lines and most of the poetry have been saved. Romeo and Juliet is more truncated, but even here not only the basic plot but also the sense of urgency of the two young people's love has been preserved. Unlike the prose retellings of the stories by Charles and Mary Lamb, Marchette Chute, and Bernard Miles, these are shortened versions of the plays themselves, complete with stage directions and waiting to be performed. Fortunate the students whose teachers are willing to become producers. Based on ``The Animated Tales as seen on HBO,'' there are lots of watercolor cartoon sketches throughout, which adds to the appeal for children. Each book begins with a short piece about the theatre in Shakespeare's time, about William Shakespeare, and about the play itself. Companion videos are available (Random House). --Ann Stell, Central Islip Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-In each of these slim volumes, one of William Shakespeare's tragedies is retold. The prose is straightforward and easy to read and tells each basic story. The color and black-and-white cartoons support the texts and there is a pictorial character list at the beginning of each book. With so much happening in so few pages, these are action-packed retellings. While they may be useful as an introduction to Shakespeare, it's questionable whether they translate into an interest in reading the rich and profound drama of the originals.-Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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