A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series) [Paperback]

Lois Burdett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1995 | Age Range: 7 and up | Series: Shakespeare Can Be Fun!

"Who is William Shakespeare?" For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up.

A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare, written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Between the covers of this slim volume is the sort of material parents glow over at back-to-school nights. Burdett refers to the project as her seven-and eight-year-old students' "unedited work." Their lively art portraying Shakespeare and scenes from his life seems to have been polished for publication. But the letters and diary entries that the youngsters have imagined for William and his family, reproduced with all their cuteness and misspellings intact, are appealing for their imaginative precocity and breadth of knowledge. The drawings and writings accompany short, labored verses that give the facts of Shakespeare's life accurately, though the forced rhyme is especially glaring in a book about the Bard. There is a strong sense of a well-meaning adult's heavy hand, and if that hand were involved, why did it not remove the grammatical errors? This book is the result of efforts that were clearly fun and enlightening for the children and serves as a good example for other teachers. But it's questionable whether reading about it will have as much appeal or educational impact as doing it.?Sally Margolis, formerly at Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Combines a lively, often humorous biographical poem ... with even livelier and amusing color drawings.

A wonderfully rich example of how young children absorb language and make it their own ... Highly recommended. (Ray Doiron CCL 1996)

Can easily be used and enjoyed by teachers and students anywhere. (Anne Barry Library Talk 1995)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887532616
• ISBN-13: 978-0887532610
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.2 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Children's
  • #87 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts > Drama & Theater

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding way To Learn About Shakespeare's Life June 21, 2000

By Frank Murphy

Format:Paperback

How many people really know the details of Shakespeare's life! Find out in this well-done, rhyming text filled with kids illustrations and "letters" and "documents". For example: one child crafts Shakespeare's will...very interesting! Lois Burdett is a genius! Perfect for teaching about Shakespeare - for kids and adults! Buy It!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare by Lois Burdett April 28, 2003

By "homeschool_moms_anonymous"

Format:Paperback

I purchased this book because I was attracted to it and I intended to put it away until I could pull together an interesting unit study on Shakespeare. However, my two boys (7 and 9) could not stand to go to bed without me reading it to them first!! They were instantly attracted to artworks and writing done by kids their age and wouldn't let me pass a single page without reading everything! They enjoyed finding the spelling errors and I was certainly surprised at how many they caught, as I am sure they would've made many of the same ones. My boys asked, after reading the book, if we could study Shakespeare for school THIS week! Yikes, I have got some quick planning to do. This is a wonderfully inspiring leaping off point for a trip into the world of Shakespeare. At the end of the book, one of my sons said it well, "Hey mom, he wrote drama and he lived drama, too!" I think they got it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Child's Portrait of Shakespear May 15, 2011

By ARMom

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 9 year old was curious about Shakespeare so I ordered this book as well as three others in this series for her, and she loved them. She can't wait for me to order more for her.