William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
| William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom | |
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| Category: Children's Non-Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Tanja Jennings
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| Summary: Sumptuously and appealingly illustrated, this imaginative and innovative approach to the life of William Shakespeare uses quirky comic strip style speech bubbles while also paying tribute to some of his most famous plays. Occasionally losing focus in the order of scenes from his life, which is why it’s not quite a 5 star review, it is still an entertaining and insightful introduction to the bard of Stratford upon Avon. This book includes maps, a bibliography, a glossary and quotations from the bard’s plays. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 48 | Date: June 2015 |
| Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781847803450 | |
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Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom are a talented and creative award winning author/illustrator team who have the gift of making the complex appear simple. Their collaborations have included the life of Charles Dickens, a biography of the Beatles and the evolutionary theories of naturalist Charles Darwin. They specialise in combining informative text with cartoon style speech bubbles and cheerful illustrations to make their books accessible to a younger readership. Their latest project, exploring the colourful career of "the sweet swan of Avon" is no exception. Produced in association with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust it charts William’s life from 1564 to 1616.
Each chapter heading incorporates an apposite quote from one of his plays. The first section is engaging. Clearly well researched, it describes his birth when he is but an infant mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms, looks at the influence of his school subjects on his later writings, doesn’t sugar-coat the chicanery of his father John, a glove maker by trade but not above criminal activities, and investigates intriguing rumours about William’s 'lost years' when his possible engagement in various professions may have given him inspiration for his plays. Was he a soldier, a sailor, a teacher, an actor or merely clerking for his father? You decide.
In 1582 the young Will met Anne Hathaway, quickly married, started a family and embarked on his chosen career of an actor and a playwright in London. At this juncture Manning and Granstrom recreate the atmosphere of this Elizabethan capital city, speculate on William’s duties in the theatre and ponder on his new network of associates, Robert Greene’s accusations of him being an upstart crow and the use of rural allusions in his works. There is then a mention of Shakespeare’s 1594 comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. Thereafter the book changes direction from a straight biography, veering off into comic strip style synopses of the bard’s key plays including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night and The Tempest. This is interspersed with later biographical details causing the book to become slightly convoluted and busy in places which is distracting. Indeed the play summaries, as entertaining as they are, might have been better left for a second book concentrating on Shakespeare’s works as opposed to his life. There are also a few plot points omitted in places.
That said these are minor quibbles. The water colour panels are charming and exquisite, employing a warm palette of primary shades, the text is insightful, thought provoking and witty, setting out interesting historical suppositions, the facial expressions are well observed and the book is well executed. It is especially useful for Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils starting to learn about Shakespeare.
For another paean to a literary great try Charles Dickens: Scenes from an Extraordinary Life or for a quirky tribute to an iconic pop group, The Beatles. Alternatively if you would like a thorough social history of Elizabethan England why not delve into The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer or for a lively approach to Shakespeare take a bite out of Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal.
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You can read more book reviews or buy William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom at Amazon.com.
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