Shakespeare for Children

This recording is full of quiet delights--emphasis on the "quiet." Introducing their 1807 classic, the Lambs assured readers that these gentle retellings of Shakespeare's plays render unavoidably adult subjects fit for the innocent young. Narrating the Lambs' decorous prose at a stately pace, Josephine Bailey and Simon Vance expertly conform to the authors' intent, but on occasion the readers' placidity threatens to lull today's young listeners, not to engage them. Superlative narrators both, they fortunately wring as much variety as they can from the frequent sprinklings of actual Shakespearean text. It's a treat, for example, to hear Bailey as Juliet, however briefly, and to hear Vance's Othello. Adult listeners may find the overall experience pleasant and soothing, like listening to grown-up bedtime stories, or they may prefer something a bit more bracing. J.L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

August 1, 2006
Gr 4 Up -In this assortment of tales based on Shakespeare -s plays, students are introduced to ten great works. From the tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet" to the comedy of "Twelfth Night", Charles and Mary Lamb -s tales bring younger students the words of one of the world -s greatest playwrights. The collection also includes "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "King Lear", "The Tempest", "A Midsummer Night -s Dream", and others. A helpful preface explains that the vocabulary used may be difficult for some listeners to understand, but has been kept as close to the original work as possible. Listeners are also warned that in changing the tales from plays to stories, constant dialogue is most often used, which, for younger listeners, may become confusing. Josephine Bailey and Simon Vance read the tales, giving distinct voices to the characters. This collection may not work well as a stand-alone for younger students because the language is difficult to follow. Paired with the authors - original text, however, the audio version would work well in elementary through high school libraries. -"Lisa W. Baker, Chocowinity Middle School, NC "

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.