Review Detail

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.