Robin Hood

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Heyer (Rapunzel) draws on complex traditional materials to produce merely a conventional tale with a happy ending. Here, Robin Hood and the Merry Men's ``favorite pastime of waylaying a traveler with whom to share their evening meal'' leads to various adventures: Robin helps a poor but honest knight redeem his lands from a greedy cleric; later, his band holds up the king (who is disguised as a friar). They are pardoned and live ``many years in the King's service.'' (Maid Marianmarion?, marian is correct/eedit should be noted, does not appear.) The characters are all rendered in romance-novel art, awkwardly posed in melodramatic attitudes. Gold borders surround text and art, as if to signal ``gift book,'' but this enterprise is a poor substitute for the richness of less condensed versions. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Heyer's version of the legend contains the familiar elements: robbing the rich to give to the poor, the archery contest in which Robin wins the golden arrow and escapes from the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham, and a confrontation in Sherwood Forest, during which Robin proves his mettle and receives the King's pardon. Honor, honesty, and courage are the hallmarks of the Merry Men, while the evil sheriff and his greedy cohort Prior Vincent get their comeuppance. The realistic, full-color illustrations are steeped in medieval atmosphere, beautifully bordered in gold, and richly colored with acrylic paints and pencils. No sources are given for the retelling, and the story line is both romanticized and subtly didactic. However, it is a handsome book and provides an enjoyable introduction to one of the most enduring and popular figures in Western culture.-Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ