All the World's a Stage - Hardcover

Hopkins, Lee Bennett

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1568462182 ISBN 13: 9781568462189

Publisher: Creative Editions, 2013

Synopsis

More than 400 years ago, English playwright William Shakespeare wrote about the "Seven Ages of Man"—the changing roles we play on the stage of life before taking our final curtain call. This collection of 21 poems, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins, explores those 7 ages, offering voices and perspectives that are as varied as they are sage. From a Nigerian lullaby to the verses of such contemporary poets as Janet S. Wong, these poems—paired with masterful artwork by Guy Billout—laugh, cry, and sing to celebrate the theater of human existence.

About this title

About the Author:

Lee Bennett Hopkins has written and edited many award-winning books. Since 1993, he has helped outstanding poets gain recognition by way of the Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State University Poetry Award.

Guy Billout's unusual and often humorous illustrations have been featured in prominent periodicals such as The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly and in his nine picture books, including The Frog Who Wanted to See the Sea.

From Booklist:

Poet and anthologist Hopkins uses the seven stages in the famous Seven Stages of Man monologue from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It as the framework for a collection of 21 poems reflecting on the journey of life. The varied selections range from a traditional Nigerian lullaby and works by Walt Whitman and Lewis Carroll to two poems by Hopkins himself. Each stage is represented by three poems and introduced with a mannered yet surreal double-page illustration framed by columns suggesting a theater, as well as the first few words from Shakespeare’s monologue that are specific to the segment. The pages with the poems are artistically balanced, featuring text in a small, plain font and one or two illustrations against a stark white background. Each of the illustrations, symbolic in nature, have only one or two small characters placed in a vast expanse of space, exuding a sense of coldness and loneliness that is often in contrast to the tenderness of the poems; Act Four—War is particularly heart wrenching. Though spare, this is thought provoking, beautifully designed, and enjoyable. Grades 3-6. --Randall Enos

About this edition

• Publisher: Creative Editions
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1568462182
• ISBN 13: 9781568462189
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Billout Guy