Shakespeare Retold by E. Nesbit & Illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo

A beautifully illustrated collection of prose retellings of seven Shakespeare plays will bring the Bard to life for young readers. Not only is this a beautiful keepsake edition, full of gorgeous illustrations by Antonio Javier Caparo, but the prose retellings by beloved classic children’s book author E. Nesbit are an excellent tool to introduce children to the complex language of Shakespeare.

A foreword by John Lithgow touches on his own childhood as a Shakespearean actor and the importance of Shakespeare. The book contains extensive support materials, including a biography, a timeline of Shakespeare’s life, and further recommended readings.

In this volume, you will find:

• Romeo and Juliet
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Twelfth Night
• Hamlet
• Macbeth
• The Tempest
• Much Ado About Nothing

I don’t remember the first time I was introduced to the world of poetry and the likes of Shakespeare but I was probably in middle school. I love the idea of teaching his famous poetry to young readers everywhere. This book is a big, beautiful hardback edition with stunning illustrations throughout each poem. The stories are interesting as they are told in a way kids are probably not use to and thus grabs their attention. My 8 year old is at full attention when we cuddle up and read this book together! I feel like this is one of those books kids will read over and over again over many years and maybe even treasure for another generation. This book shows kids that poetry is fun!