The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Gregory Rogers (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Series: New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)

A comic romp through Shakespeare's London featuring an intrepid little boy, a friendly bear, and-in the role of dastardly villain-the Bard himself.

What happens when a boy bursts through the curtain of a deserted theatre and onto the world's most famous stage? He lands on the Bard himself and the chase is on-through the streets of Shakespeare's London. This is a rare and inventive visual feast-a runaway story about a curious boy, a magic cloak, a grumpy bard, a captive bear and a baron bound for the chopping block. It is also a richly illustrated, dramatic and very funny tale of adventure and friendship.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 3-6–This wordless picture book adds a new twist to the Shakespeare canon for young audiences. When a boy's wayward soccer ball lands inside a theater and suddenly transports its owner through time to the Globe, the Elizabethan era comes to life. Unfortunately, the lad's sudden appearance on stage interrupts the performance, and the Bard himself, investigating the problem, suddenly slips on the ball and comes crashing down. He chases after the culprit, and the boy runs for his life. Fortunately, the mid-afternoon crowds provide much-needed camouflage from the angry playwright, and the child, after befriending a chained bear, leads his newfound grizzly companion into the Tower of London, where they free a Baron awaiting beheading. The three then embark down the Thames where they encounter the royal barge, and Elizabeth I is quite taken by the once-condemned Baron. As night descends, Shakespeare suddenly reappears, angrier than ever, and the boy and the bear barely escape with their skins. Just when all seems lost, the boy flees back to the Globe where, heading through the curtain, he finds himself once more safe and alone–in modern times. Rogers's tale shows a very human facet of the Bard–his temper. The details portrayed in the pen-and-watercolor illustrations are true to the era. The cartoon paintings vary in size from tiny renderings to full-page spreads, and they are filled with movement and expressive faces. This sophisticated romp will attract the eyes of intermediate audiences, and could serve as a good prelude to the study of Shakespeare and his times.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. The plot in this wordless picture book unfolds straightforwardly: a contemporary little boy kicks his soccer ball through the window of an old theater, and when he goes inside to retrieve it, he's pulled into Elizabethan London, landing right on the stage of the Globe. After an angry Shakespeare chases him into the town, the boy finds a friendly, helpful companion in a bear. Still on the run from the Bard, the pair releases a condemned prisoner from the Tower of London. Elizabeth I then appears as a minor character with whom the boy, the bear, and, eventually, the Bard interact. High on action, accurate of scene, and short on character development, the full watercolor-and-ink panels give kids around the world the chance to peek into another era while sympathizing with a contemporary, young protagonist. Australian illustrator Rogers plays with perspective in a way that will engage more sophisticated viewers, though young book browsers can easily understand the story he creates. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596430095
• ISBN-13: 978-1596430099
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #646,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, February 7, 2005

By 

Camille "at the BookMoot!" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

This book is absolutely brilliant! It is a wordless book that will pick you up and carry you through the story. The boy kicks his soccer ball through the window of a boarded up old theater. After retrieving his ball he discovers a box of costumes which he tries on and tries out on the theater stage. Something happens and suddenly he is on the stage of a theater (the Globe?) and William Shakespeare is tripping on his soccer ball. The chase is on through old London. The boy liberates a bear from a cage, a baron from the Tower of London, and dances with Queen Elizabeth I on a barge on the Thames, all while being pursued by a cranky Shakespeare. The drawings are detailed and change perspective. One moment you are running through the streets of London with the boy and the next you have a view of him and the city from high above. When the story ended, I felt like I too had dropped out of time, quite a feat for a picture book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little known fact: Shakespeare was the Terminator, March 13, 2005

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

The wordless picture book is an artform in and of itself. Whether you're reading Emily McCully's charming, "Picnic", Anno's endlessly fascinating, "Anno's Journey", or even Jeannie Baker's knock-your-socks-off, "Home", the world of silent books for children is as variegated as it is fascinating. And now we have the newest addition to the genre. Author/illustrator Gregory Rogers has created a fine frolicksome foray into the world of Shakespearean plays, dancing bears, and the Tower of London itself. "The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard" may not be ideal storytime fare for large groups of children, but in terms of one-on-one encounters it stands above the rest.

A boy is playing soccer in London when his ball is knocked accidentally into a large abandoned theater. Exploring further, the boy enjoys playing amongst the set pieces, trying on the costumes, and pretending to star in his own show. But when a careless kick to the ball forces the boy to run between the curtains at exactly 4 o' clock (the time that all of Shakespeare's plays were performed) he suddenly finds himself 400 some years in the past with a full house staring back at him. Incensed, a livid bard begins to chase the boy in revenge for destroying his play. The kid escapes, and in his adventures of old Londontown he manages to free a chained bear, rescue a baron who's head is bound for the chopping block, and meet Elizabeth I herself. It makes for a thrilling story of escape, friendship, and jolly good adventuring.

First of all, I just want to say that I love the concept of Shakespeare being a villain of Terminatoresque proportions. About the time the bard, who has presumably swam several miles out to meet Queen Elizabeth's barge, pulls himself out of the water and makes a lunge for the boy, that was the moment I really loved the book. Is there anything more terrifying than an angry Shakespeare? I think not. Kids reading this book will get a great introduction into the world of Elizabethean drama and living. From the Tower of London's ravens to the houses and shops that used to stand along London Bridge, the book is an excellent encapsulation of an earlier time. You grow to love the bear and fear the bard. Of the baron, there isn't much to say.

So for a great wordless picture book that gives a brief history lesson amongst cartoon-like illustrations, this one can't be beat. Consider it a fine addition for your own little budding Shakespeare scholar.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for young children, December 15, 2010

By 

elisa joy jones - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard (Paperback)

This is a great book, but, despite the age range listed for it and some of the reviews, it is not a book for younger children, certainly not for preschoolers. Beheading is a theme, including a prominent picture of heads on pikes atop a castle. If your child is observant, you may find yourself needing to answer questions you do not wish to answer.