Shakespeare: 4 spectacular introductions to the bard

NOTE: Marcia Williams (see Tales from Shakespeare) will be in the shop helping us to celebrate the Shakespeare 400th anniversary on Sat 23rd at 3pm. See our events for details and how to RSVP.

Tales from Shakespeare by Marcia Williams

Discover fourteen Shakespeare plays through these beautifully abridged and illustrated tales. Marcia Williams is also well known for Mr. William Shakespeare's Plays and Bravo, Mr. Shakespeare!, fun comic strip versions that include selected original dialogue. If you're about to take a child to see one of the plays, Marcia's summaries could be useful as well as enjoyable.

Will's Words by Jane Sutcliffe and John Shelley

It's amazing how many of those that first skipped off the tip of Shakespeare's quill have now become household words. We've been waiting with bated breath and much excitement for this release, which brings to life a selection of now common phrases along a journey through Shakespeare's world. Jane Sutcliffe's clear and concise writing on Shakespearean London will have you reading to your heart's content, and John Shelley's gorgeous illustrations prove that you can never have too much of a good thing.

To Wee or Not to Wee? by Pamela Butchart

That is the question! This hilarious chapter book retells four of the bard's finest through the voices of children attempting to explain the stories to each other. Needless to say, a few details seem a little mixed up and there's a whole lot more lasagne and wee. But actually the gist of the characters and the stories remain, and this could be a fantastically funny introduction. You don't have to take Shakespeare too seriously, after all.

What's So Special About Shakespeare? by Micheal Rosen

Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen provides juicy background info on the 'extraordinary and dangerous times' of William Shakespeare, a timeline and some clever breakdowns of the plays. Also available: Michael Rosen's What's So Special About Dickens? Funnily enough, the term 'what the dickens?' has nothing to do with Charles Dickens and was used by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor...

Also check out William Shakespeare's Star Wars, The Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary and other books in our Shakespeare section. Here's a joke for free: William Shakespeare walks into a bar. The barman says, "You're bard!"