Favourite Tales from Shakespeare

I found the 1976 edition of this book in a flea market and I am dying to get my hands on additional copies to give as gifts. This is an AWESOME book! Blew me away. The wonderful stories of Shakespeare, summarized in kid-friendly (but NEVER condescending) text, with colorful, fantastical illustrations that really do invite you to linger over them. As a former English major, I am surprised and, even, kinda thrilled to read these stories in a new way. Plays are meant to be performed, not read, but who has time seek out Shakespeare on a regular basis? I'd forgotten a lot of the details of these stories over time, and it was way cool to return to them in narrative form. If I were a kid, I'd be all over this book. There's romance, intrigue, sword fights, mistaken identies, ghosts, witches... good stuff, the author really picked good plays. Even as a 37 year old crone, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was sorry there wasn't more. If you find this book, BUY IT!! I hope maybe it'll come into print again, so more people can enjoy it.

My 27 year old son just picked up this book from my desk and said, "Wow, this is the book that got me interested in Shakespeare when I was six! It was my favorite book for years."This is Shakespeare for children and for parents who may not even like Shakespeare. We wore out one copy and I had to buy another. The illustrations are wonderful and contribute to discussion about the plays. All three of my children credit reading this book with their comfort with Shakespeare in high school. One become an English major. I am very sad to see thatit is out of print. I have grandchildren coming up!

This book is undoubtedly one of the best exposures to Shakespeare for children. My eight year old daughter loved it so much she brought it to school and shared it with the class. Her teacher found a copy and made it part of his curriculum. Parents were delighted and tried to find their own copies. I must say this was back in 1978! I have recommended this book over the years to numerous young parents who cannot find this wonderful book. Very sad. To not have this book would be like missing "Pat The Bunny" or "Good Night Moon".

This book and its amazing illustrations will expose your children (and yourself) to the wonderful world of Shakespeare. Several of Shakespeares best known plays are retold as stories, without the complicated language. Bernard Miles is able to weave these tales so well that you get completely drawn into the characters and the time. Reading these as a kid (the stories are long, probably best for 12 and up) gave me an interest in Shakespeare and help me to understand them when I read or saw them as plays. Don't miss an opportunity to get a copy of this book!