Shakespeare Retold

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Author(s)

E. Nesbit

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Publisher

Harper

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

October 18, 2016

ISBN

978-0062404534

Buy This Book

A beautifully illustrated collection of prose retellings of seven Shakespeare plays will bring the Bard to life for young readers. Not only is this a beautiful keepsake edition, full of gorgeous illustrations by Antonio Javier Caparo, but the prose retellings by beloved classic children’s book author E. Nesbit are an excellent tool to introduce children to the complex language of Shakespeare.

A foreword by John Lithgow touches on his own childhood as a Shakespearean actor and the importance of Shakespeare. The book contains extensive support materials, including a biography, a timeline of Shakespeare’s life, and further recommended readings.

In this volume, you will find:

Romeo and Juliet A Midsummer Night’s Dream Twelfth Night Hamlet Macbeth The Tempest Much Ado About Nothing

In this volume, you will find:

Romeo and Juliet A Midsummer Night’s Dream Twelfth Night Hamlet Macbeth The Tempest Much Ado About Nothing

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Quality Shakespeare for the kiddos

March 27, 2017

Overall rating

4.5

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Admittedly, I was not a fan of Shakespeare when it was forced on me in high school. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to see the plays live that I fell in love with the master. Had I the opportunity to wet my feet with a book like Shakespeare Retold as a child, my experience with Shakespeare might have gone differently.
Nesbit’s retellings of Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, and Much Ado About Nothing have just the right amount of Shakespeare’s intent using language a child can easily understand, allowing them to learn the stories long before school requires them to read the plays. Nesbit also gives the young reader an introduction to Shakespearean language with perfectly placed quotes. If it weren’t for the inclusion of these famous quotes, the retellings would have suffered for their absence.
The lovely illustrations are done in the style of a fairytale book or an ancient illuminated manuscript. Each image tells the story, helping those readers who might not be up to reading on their own yet.
A solid introduction to the comedies and tragedies of Shakespeare, Shakespeare Retold is a great addition to any school or home library.