A lavish young reader's edition of the classic Shakespearean tale follows the adventures of cast-out duke Prospero, who lives on an enchanted island with his daughter, Miranda, and the magical spirits helpful Ariel and evil Caliban.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Prospero-like in their artistry, Spirin's dazzling watercolors dominate this retelling of Shakespeare's final play. Shaped like altar panels fit for a Renaissance church or palace, the illustrations are romantic, regal and magical, richly interpreting the play's themes of betrayal, revenge and all-conquering love. A wispy ethereal air pervades island scenes, beautifully suggesting the atmosphere of enchantment, while Antonio and the King of Naples are pictured in brocade and velvet, the stench of power upon them. The other characters, too, are both otherworldly and very much flesh and blood. Especially well rendered is the monster Caliban, shown here as part man, part beast, part mythical creature, a sense of evil glee lighting his features. While this prose adaptation does not, of course, retain the full magic of the Bard's work, Beneduce nonetheless provides an intelligent, gripping story. Several passages from Shakespeare introduced at key points give a taste of the original. Symbols and small pictures integrated into the text further enhance the lavish presentation. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up?The play is set circa 1610. Spirin expands Beneduce's retelling by basing his lavish watercolors on Italian Renaissance paintings. Though the pages are carefully framed, highly ornate, and formally structured, there is plenty of leeway for individual imagination to make itself felt. Ariel is a decorative Renaissance angel. Caliban is given piscine characteristics and expressions that evoke the longing as much as the brutishness in his character. And the human characters have the complexity of portraits. Spirin's illustrations highlight the fantastic while Ruth Sanderson's landscapes for Bruce Coville's version of the play (Doubleday, 1994) focus on the effects of nature. Both are valid. Coville's simpler retelling is easier to follow. Beneduce, too, eliminates some of the subplots in order to avoid confusion, but her fuller text manages to incorporate most of the romantic, magical, and political elements. Within the main text, she modernizes the dialogue. This works smoothly for the most part, though it's hard to see how "What a wonderful new world I am about to enter..." is an improvement over "O brave new world..." A few passages of original text are set off in isolated frames, for a sense of the poetry. Readers and potential playgoers will need to see the play performed to experience the comic scenes of Caliban and his cronies. Brief appendixes explain the context in which the play was written and the reteller's choices and give an overview of Shakespeare's life. This is a case in which an acceptably graceful text plays a supporting role to the illustrations. They are worth the price of admission.?Sally Margolis, formerly at Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a wonderful introduction to The Tempest,
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This review is from: The Tempest (Hardcover)
My 7-year-old *asks* for this book as bedtime reading. Filled with wonderful, stylized illustrations of spirits, beasts, and renaissance costume, the book is a visual feast. While the text will surely frustrate many a Shakespeare aficionado, it is engaging and accessible to young children. Only two plots are well-developed: the love story between Miranda and Ferdinand, which gets the bulk of the attention, and the punishment and forgiveness of Antonio and the King. But this is just right: these core plots are told in a way that easily holds a child's attention, introduces snippets of lovely Shakespearian language, and prepares the child for a fuller encounter with the play.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
gorgeous illustrations,
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This review is from: The Tempest (Hardcover)
A luscious introduction to Shakespeare for children. Spirin's artwork delightfully brings to life the Master's last play, which is condensed by Beneduce with thoughtfully chosen scenes. The rewrite is not so simplified as to be inane; instead, it is intelligently written, with key phrases from the play itself. Taking the time to get the classics into your child's knowledge base is important, and this book is a great opportunity to introduce a wonderful play and story to your child. This is a text-heavy picture book, so your child should be a willing and ready reader or an experienced listener.
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