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Synopsis
Imaginative, exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful battle of the sexes.
Janet Crane Barley - Children's Literature
This entertaining retelling of the Shakespeare comedy includes extracts from the original text and is illustrated with expressive cartoon-like drawings. The story is preceded with an illustrated character list for easy reference. It is part of The Shakespeare Collection that includes retellings of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Tempest. The text of each book has been reviewed by Kathy Elgin of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The distinguished publisher, Oxford University Press, pegs the age range at 7 to 10. The publisher's web site says that these lively books make Shakespeare accessible to a young audience, sparking a lifelong interest in the Bard and his world. Although the text is quite readable, it seems unlikely to me that the specified age group would be interested in a tale of love, hate, and deception set in the far past. Isn't there a danger that children 10 and under may be turned off forever by a tale so irrelevant to them? The book would seem to be more useful for those who want a quick introduction or review of the plot, perhaps before seeing the play. 2002, Oxford University Press,