This book presents a number of Shakespearean comedies and tragedies for younger readers. Rather than having children fumble through trying to understand old English and glean the entire plot through dialogue only, Packer presents each play as a prose story written in her own words. However, the dialogue she uses is still Shakespeare's original, although obviously there is less of it, and she contextualizes it so that (hopefully) its meaning will be more clear to youngsters. In making the plays into prose, she sometimes forces her own interpretation of Shakespeare's works. For instance, she tells readers that Hamlet pretends to be mad after seeing his father's ghost. Of course, it is a continually debated point amongst Shakespearean scholars whether Hamlet is merely pretending to be insane or is indeed actually insane.

Packer alternates presenting a comedy and then a tragedy, beginning with A Midsummer Night's Dream and ending with King Lear. Personally, I think concluding with a tragedy (especially a particularly gruesome one that includes eye gouging) ends things too much on a sad note, but that's just me. And, yes, Shakespeare's full spectrum of violence is included within these pages, from poisonings to stabbings and everything in between, so readers beware. If you think your child is ready to be introduced to one of the world's most influential playwrights, this is a good way to start. However, if your child is still rather squeamish, maybe hold off a little longer. I could also see this book be a helpful companion to older readers, particularly high schoolers, who might need a little help deciphering the full plays they are reading for school or for pleasure.

Each play is illustrated by a different well-known children's illustrator (e.g., Kadir Nelson, David Shannon, etc.), which makes for an array of lovely pictures. However, each play has a frontispiece
and then only one small illustration at the end. My preference would be for more illustrations throughout, to further help children fully comprehend the story.

Packer begins the book with a lengthy introduction about Shakespeare. The bits about his life are useful, but she then spends a great deal of space talking about how Shakespeare's works reflect on human nature in ways that are still relevant. A fair enough point, but I feel like she said it a few too many times. However, the book as whole was an enjoyable read, whether you're just meeting Shakespeare's works for the first time or if you've been a fan for a long time and can always appreciate a new presentation and interpretation. ( )

Drama