The Tempest for Kids

Shakespeare Can Be Fun!

by Lois Burdett

The Tempest is an exciting tale of jealousy and betrayal, magic and romance, repentance and forgiveness, and has all the elements necessary to ignite a young child's imagination and creative energy. By her use of rhyming couplets, Lois Burdett has once again succeeded in transforming Shakespeare's complex verse into a format readily understood by children. Children's enthusiasm toward Burdett's adapted Shakespeare is evident in the wonderful drawings and anecdotes created by her Grade 2 and 3 students at Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford, Ontario. Together with the five other books in the successful and beautifully produced Shakespeare Can Be Fun! series, The Tempest will delight teachers, parents and children.

Genres: Folklore, Shakespeare, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Picture Books

64 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Lois Burdett is an acclaimed elementary school teacher from Stratford, Ontario, internationally recognized for her innovative approach to teaching Shakespeare to young children. Through her Shakespeare Can Be Fun series and dynamic classroom methods, she has introduced serious literature to students as young as Grades 2 and 3. Her work has earned her numerous honors, including Canada's Meritorious Service Medal and awards from Encyclopedia Britannica and the Canadian Teachers' Federation. Her books and workshops continue to inspire educators worldwide.

Reviews

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I am working my way through these quickly, but they are so good! It's set to rhyme which keeps the children interested and the art is done by 8 to 10 year olds. So cute! They also include little hand written notes that show how the kids are relating to the plays.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this aloud around the dinner table in preparation for Shakespeare in Clark Park. We had fun reading it, and it seriously enhanced my experience of watching the production. These books are great. We always read them before going to see a Shakespeare play. It really helps the kids take in so much more than if we'd just read a synopsis. (Umm, and I guess that goes for me, too.)

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the Shakespeare Can Be Fun series. Lois Burdett is a genius. Her rhyming retellings of Shakespeare's tales are amazing & tell the stories in plain language making them easy for kids (& adults) to understand. She does indeed make Shakespeare fun along with her students' illustrations & story interpretations. This tale is one of my favorites--Prospero, former Duke of Milan, & his daughter, Miranda, are the sole human inhabitants of an enchanted isle full of sprites & a monster. Prospero's brother conspired with the King of Naples to overthrow him & send him to sea with his daughter in a rickety boat. But a faithful servant hid provisions for them & they managed to survive until they were wahed up on the isle. By coincidence 12 years later, a ship bearing Prospero's brother, the King of Naples, his son, & various courtiers is passing by on their way back to Milan when Prospero, a wily magician, conjures up a storm to bring them to his island for his revenge. Using his sprites & the monster, Caliban, he arranges a meeting between Miranda & the King's son in hopes of their falling in love & uniting the two kingdoms. He also manages to thank his faithful servant & make the King & his brother see the error of their ways so he can be restored to his dukedom. For those who've always felt the joys of Shakespeare have been over their heads, too confusing & hard to understand, these books show that his plays are everlasting & meaningful still & that they can be fun.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interpretation of Shakespeare’s Tempest in rhyming couplets with illustrations and sidebar commentary provided by the author’s students. I have been looking for ways to introduce Shakespeare to my ESL high school students. The author seems to have had great success using her books with her own students but I found the rhyming couplets tedious and I think they create a barrier for many readers. It may depend greatly on the reader’s goals as the couplets may help students to memorize the material for a theater production.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed The Tempest, but never fully understood it. Now I'm a lot closer to doing so, because of this wonderful teacher and her amazing students. I don't think the blurb makes it quite clear enough that the 8-10 year old students created many illustrations and 'stories' that summarized scenes & bits.

A copy is archived and can be 'borrowed' for free on openlibrary.org.

[Robert Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series! My boys loved this one.

[Malea Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good way to introduce kids to Shakespeare. I love that the illustrations of done by children and the book also includes parts of the play retold by children which are also very fun. However, I couldn't help wonder if the retold parts are completely in the words of the children or if they have been changed/edited a little bit. I just felt like some of the word choice was too mature or advance for kids of 8-10 years old. All in all though, it was a fun read. (Plus, I actually think it's great for older audiences to learn about Shakespeare too!

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific series, written in verse with some of the more memorable lines from the original retained but mostly put into language easier for small people to follow. The illustrations are drawn by children and The Tempest included short notes from all the characters, also written by kids. It's a good way to introduce young readers to some classic tales, very fun for all ages.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adult, I love Shakespeare, but I was not a fan when I was a student. I think this is a great way to introduce the tempest along with others in the series. The story is identical to the play, but the pictures and little notes from other students allow it to be more easily relative to the student's lives. Not only do the pictures allow for relativity, but they are quite hilarious as well.

[Charles Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The story of the tempest, but illustrated by children, and explained by children. Any teacher who seeks to expose their students to Shakespeare, must at some time use this book. Two thumbs up!

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Tempest for Kids
Burdett, Lois
children's drawings, reports, and letters explaining the plot retold by the author in a more modern langauge for the kids.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved these books by Lois Burdett when she was younger. What a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare!

[John Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy! I wish I knew about you and your work and books when I was teaching. Thanks for still inspiring us.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it helps kids (and me) understand a Shakespearean play. The additions from the 3rd and 4th graders was cute and interesting.