Romeo and Juliet [Paperback]

Michael Rosen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2005

This most famous of love stories is uniquely presented in picture book form for children. The tale is told scene by scene in a simple lively style, with dialogue reproducing Shakespeare's own words so that the most celebrated passages of the play are retained in their original form.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9--This version of the eternally popular tale of star-crossed lovers uses clear, paraphrased prose and poetic lines quoted from Shakespeare's original to enable readers to comprehend the intricacies of the story's interwoven plots. The book begins with a short introduction to Elizabethan society and an illustrated explanation of the cast of characters. Dividing the text into acts and scenes, Rosen summarizes much of the action in language that maintains the integrity of the play. Shakespearean passages are highlighted in bold print and unfamiliar words are explained in sidebar definitions. The adapter's prologue and endnote place the narrative in the context of a theatrical performance. The prose is readable and will lend itself to young thespians wanting to dramatize either individual scenes or an abridged version of the whole epic. Ray's fine watercolor artwork, though stylized, realistically portrays the characters and climactic moments. The artist also uses some rather surrealistic images to suggest the content of Romeo's dreams. The eyes of her characters are particularly haunting in their intensity. Most of the illustrations are full page, but numerous smaller paintings further elucidate the text or break up longer passages. Subdued wallpaperlike borders repeating a design of ferns and feathers appear throughout. Taking a more scriptlike approach than Bruce Coville's William Shakespeare's Romeo andJuliet(Dial, 1999), this version will serve as a fine introduction, particularly in literature and drama classes, to perhaps the most romantic of Shakespeare's tragedies.--Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Weaving together pieces of Shakespeare's text with chatty commentary and sumptuous, theatrical illustrations, this picture book makes the great drama of star-crossed lovers accessible without sacrificing the eloquence of the original play. On each double-page spread, Shakespeare's words are in bold type, explained and connected by Rosen's informal narrative ("but their lovemaking had to stop when the talkative old Nurse came up to them"). References and a glossary are placed in a border on each left-hand page. Rosen frames the story with an account of the Elizabethan theater, and Ray's bright, meticulously detailed watercolors capture the original sixteenth-century Italian setting with a gorgeous sense of the costumed cast on stage. Some pictures evoke Shakespeare's imagery with an element of fantasy, as in the delicate view of the queen of the fairies in her tiny wagon. Romeo is brown-skinned; Juliet is white, and the most moving scenes show them meeting, talking, kissing, and then forever apart. Far from the usual bland retellings, this version will excite readers to seek out the play on stage. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks (February 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844285200
• ISBN-13: 978-1844285204
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Rosen, an English poet, scriptwriter, broadcaster, and performer, has been writing for children since 1970. He lives in London with his wife and five children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great intro to Shakespeare, October 23, 2007

By 

D. MacDonald (Bluemont, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Hardcover)

I can't say enough about this book. Rosen does a superb job moving the story along with some paraphrasing, but also using a great deal of Shakepeare's actual words. I was disappointed when I went to the library to find Shakespeare for children, most books don't capture any voice. If you want to show them what the fuss is about- this is for you. And the illustrations are beautiful.