William Shakespeare: Poetry for Young People - Hardcover

David Scott Kastan; Marina Kastan; William Shakespeare; Glenn Harrington

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0806943440 ISBN 13: 9780806943442

Publisher: Union Square Kids, 2000

Synopsis

He was the greatest poet and playwright who ever lived, the dramatist who penned lines that we quote without even realizing their origin. Shakespeare's glorious works have even inspired animated films--like Disney's The Lion King. Introduce children to the Bard with this wonderful, fully annotated collection of sonnets and soliloquies, enhanced with beautiful, highly realistic color paintings that bring each excerpt to vivid life. Here are Shakespeare's most famous speeches: "To be or not to be" from Hamlet, with the melancholy Dane pictured in front of the castle, his face pensive and gazing into the distance; Portia's gentle plea for mercy in The Merchant of Venice; Macbeth's witches' cackling "Double, double, toil and trouble"; and Marc Antony's sarcastic address to "Friends, Romans, Countrymen," in Julius Caesar. A golden-robed Henry V, kneeling and bowed from the weight of the world, ponders how rulers must bear the burden of their subjects' needs. Mercutio, seen here in a bright red background as fiery and explosive as his personality, gently teases his lovesick friend Romeo. From the tender sonnets (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?) to the humorous songs sung by his jesters in comedies such as Twelfth Night, every page contains pure verbal and visual magic.

"...the most delicate challenge in introducing poetry to children [is]...making all the necessary allowances for accessibility without completely throwing felicity and mystery to the winds. In this respect...it is particularly heartening to come upon...The Poetry for Young People Series [which] should be commended for recognizing that secure stepping stones hold infinitely more hope than forced marches."--Washington Post Book World.

About this title

Reviews

Gr 8 Up-An exploration of Shakespeare as a poet. The book begins with a good biographical introduction to the Bard and his work. Three well-known sonnets, Hamlet's famous "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, as well as several well-known speeches from other plays are included. Some of the selections are not strong poetry and others may be off-putting to the intended audience. Each piece includes a brief glossary. There are often notes on the poetic function of the language, but this is not a book for the poetically fainthearted. A sophisticated, powerful oil painting accompanies each piece. Unfortunately, the full-page illustrations could have the effect of further alienating older students.-Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5-7. This large-format volume from the Poetry for Young People series presents three sonnets as well as 24 excerpts from the plays of William Shakespeare. The sonnets are accessible as well as beautiful, but the use of dramatic excerpts is problematic. Some speeches, such as "All the world's a stage," from As You Like It and "The quality of mercy is not strained," from The Merchant of Venice, work well in this short anthology. Others, such as the two excerpts from Henry IV, Part One, seem unlikely to appeal as poetry, particularly to young people who do not know the play. Glenn Harrington has illustrated selections with impressionistic paintings. Often focusing on a single character, the paintings are well composed and richly colored. Consider this attractive book as supplementary material for children's collections with a demand for Shakespeare. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806943440
• ISBN 13: 9780806943442
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48