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BROMWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (214)
2500 East
Fourth Avenue,
80206-4214
(Columbine Street at East Fourth Avenue)
Telephone:
(303) 388-5969
Fax: (720) 424-9355
E-mail: Bromwell@dpsk12.org
Mr. Jonathan Wolfer, Principal
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Shakespeare for Kids
Do you think Shakespeare is too high-brow for children? The DPS Shakespeare Festival has certainly proven otherwise! Here are some of the great resources for kids who are interested in Shakespeare, and for their teachers and parents, too. This far-from-complete list does not include bibliographical information (to save space), but it's a good start.
Videos:
Shakespeare -- The Animated Tales: Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Othello
A series co-produced by HBO and the BBC -- superb half-hour cartoon adaptations of the plays by Russian animators with English actors providing the voices. Available on dvd.
Wishbone -- "Rosie, Oh! Rosie, Oh!" (a retelling of Romeo and Juliet) and "Shakespaw!" (a retelling of The Tempest), and "Prince of Wags!"(a retelling of Henry V)
These half-hour episodes are not released on video for sale yet, but are broadcast regularly on PBS or cable.
Picture Books:
A Midsummer Night's Dream
retold by Bruce Coville, illus by Dennis Nolan
The Tempest
retold by Bruce Coville, illus by Ruth Sanderson
The Tempest
retold by Ann Keay Beneduce, illus by Gennady Spirin
The above are three wonderfully illustrated books of the two Shakespeare plays that most resemble fairy-tales, and so make
for good introductions to Shakespeare for children. Coville has recently come out with a retelling of "Macbeth" in the
same format.
Shakespeare and Macbeth
by Stewart Ross, illus by Tony Karpinski
The story of how Shakespeare may have written "Macbeth," with lots of behind-the-scenes information.
Something Rich and Strange: An Introduction to Shakespeare's Verse
selected by Gina Pollinger,illus by Emma Chichester Clark
A wonderful -- and rich -- anthology, arranged thematically, lushly illustrated.
Under the Greenwood Tree
edited by Barbara Holdridge, illus by various
Another anthology of Shakespearean verse and songs, also with lots of illustrations.
Will's Quill
by Don Freeman
By the author/illustrator of "Corduroy" -- a goose travels to London and donates a feather to Will Shakespeare just when
he needs it to finish writing "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Shakespeare Cats
by Susan Herbert
Illustrations of famous scenes from most of the plays, with cats and kitties as the actors.
Shakespeare Can Be Fun: A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare
by Lois Burdett
Shakespeare Can Be Fun: Macbeth for Kids
by Lois Burdett
Shakespeare Can Be Fun: Twelfth Night for Kids
by Lois Burdett
A series of books edited by the 2nd Grade teacher of Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford-on-Avon, Canada -- and
written and illustrated by her students. Great stuff! You could base a bunch of projects and even a production or two on
the material here.
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare
by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema, illus by Diane
Stanley
The best of the biographies that I could find, which says a lot (considering that no one really knows anything about the
guy!). Nice illustrations, too. The same collaborators have also produced a fine biography of Queen Elizabeth.
Older Books
(most still lavishly illustrated!):
Shakespeare's Stories
by Beverly Birch
Stories from Shakespeare
by Geraldine McCaughrean, illus by Antony Maitland
Shakespeare Stories
by Leon Garfield, illus by Michael Foreman
Shakespeare Stories II
by Leon Garfield, illus by Michael Foreman
Stories from Shakespeare
by Marchette Chute
Favorite Tales From Shakespeare
by Bernard Miles, illus by Victor Ambrus
Tales From Shakespeare
by Charles and Mary Lamb
A Midsummer Night's Dream
original text, illustrated by Kevin Maddison
Wishbone's Romeo and Juliet
a novelization of the television episode by Billy Aronson
The Inside Story: Shakespeare's Theater
by Jacqueline Morley, illus by John James
All about the Globe Theatre and the theatrical techniques of Shakespeare's day.
The World of Shakespeare
published by Usborne Press
Illustrations and photographs of plays, costumes, scenery, make-up -- the works!
Series:
Shakespeare -- the Animated Tales: Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet
by Leon Garfield, illus by various
Condensed but presented in dramatic form with stage directions and other notes, as well as nice illustrations based on the
cartoons!
Shakespeare For Everyone: Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, All's Well That Ends Well, and other volumes by Jennifer Mulherin, illus by various
Lots of art and additional text articles -- like an encyclopedia at the back of each book!
Classics Illustrated -- Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Paperback-sized comic adaptations with brief text articles.
Shakespeare on Stage: Othello for Young People, Much Ado About Nothing for Young People, Julius Caesar for Young People, Hamlet for Young People
by Diane Davidson
Moderately abridged, presented in dramatic form with additional reference material.
Steck-Vaughn Shakespeare: Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet
Presented in dramatic form, but with very simplified text and lots of illustrations.
The Best Book For Adults:
The Friendly Shakespeare
by Norrie Epstein
Funny, smart, insightful, connected to the material -- just like a good teacher (or even a good parent) should be!
And Don't Forget:
We have two special touchstones right here in Denver -- besides any current theatrical productions, of
course. The Decker Branch of the Denver Public Library
was built to resemble the home of
Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway (it's at 1501 South Logan, phone: 733-7584), and there is a Shakespeare Tree
in City Park, supposedly an off-shoot of the elm that grew in Shakespeare's yard (the
offshoot is now at the southeast end of the ground of the Denver Museum of Natural History -- look for
the plaque). Decker held a Shakespeare Festival every year in April near Shakespeare's birthday, but this
has lately been overshadowed by activities related to Earth Day, which occurs during the same week.
DPL is currently re-evaluating whether or not to continue with the festival in the future.
For the complete story on the Shakespeare Tree, look in the Denver Post's online archives for the article "The Bard Branches Out" by Colleen Smith, April 20th, 1997.
Back to A-6: Mr. Replogle's Fourth Grade Classroom
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