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[The Adventures of Robin Hood (Classic Starts)] [By: Pyle, Howard] [March, 2005]
Unknown Binding
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About the author
Howard Pyle
435 books317 followersHoward Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people.
During 1894 he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University), and after 1900 he founded his own school of art and illustration named the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. The term Brandywine School was later applied to the illustration artists and Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region by Pitz. Some of his more famous students were N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Elenore Abbott, Ethel Franklin Betts, Anna Whelan Betts, Harvey Dunn, Clyde O. DeLand, Philip R. Goodwin, Violet Oakley, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Olive Rush, Allen Tupper True, and Jessie Willcox Smith.
His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print, and his other books, frequently with medieval European settings, include a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is also well known for his illustrations of pirates, and is credited with creating the now stereotypical modern image of pirate dress. He published an original novel, Otto of the Silver Hand, in 1888. He also illustrated historical and adventure stories for periodicals such as Harper's Weekly and St. Nicholas Magazine. His novel Men of Iron was made into a movie in 1954, The Black Shield of Falworth.
Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy to study mural painting during 1910, and died there in 1911 from a kidney infection (Bright's Disease).
His sister Katharine Pyle was also a writer and illustrator. Their mother was the children's author and translator M.C. Pyle.
During 1894 he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University), and after 1900 he founded his own school of art and illustration named the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. The term Brandywine School was later applied to the illustration artists and Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region by Pitz. Some of his more famous students were N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Elenore Abbott, Ethel Franklin Betts, Anna Whelan Betts, Harvey Dunn, Clyde O. DeLand, Philip R. Goodwin, Violet Oakley, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Olive Rush, Allen Tupper True, and Jessie Willcox Smith.
His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print, and his other books, frequently with medieval European settings, include a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is also well known for his illustrations of pirates, and is credited with creating the now stereotypical modern image of pirate dress. He published an original novel, Otto of the Silver Hand, in 1888. He also illustrated historical and adventure stories for periodicals such as Harper's Weekly and St. Nicholas Magazine. His novel Men of Iron was made into a movie in 1954, The Black Shield of Falworth.
Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy to study mural painting during 1910, and died there in 1911 from a kidney infection (Bright's Disease).
His sister Katharine Pyle was also a writer and illustrator. Their mother was the children's author and translator M.C. Pyle.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 19, 2026
A Well done version. Robin is not always morally sound but he is ultimately on the right side of the matter when it comes to injustice. Nothing is wrong with being rich but Robin’s allegiance to the true king is correct.
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February 18, 2026We really enjoyed our adventure through Sherwood Forest with Robin and his band of merry men!
September 12, 2025
I’m giving 4 stars because this book is definitely marketed to middle grade, so my issues with it are specific to my situation.
****
For us it was more like a 2.5 star read. I used it as a read aloud for a kindergartner and a preschooler. Some of the storytelling was just a bit too subtle for them - heavy use of disguise, irony, clever turns of phrase, subterfuge, etc. A lot of the story was lost on them at 5 and 3.
Robin Hood retellings are often a kid’s first foray into stories with moral ambiguity/dilemnas, and again I think in that area, this story proved too mature for my kids. Some Robin Hood retellings lean hard into the “robbing the rich to give to the poor” element of the story, but this one definitely has Robin Hood as a more ambiguous trickster type character and the light side of his personality is less obvious to kids. There is also a heavy emphasis on corrupt clergy, which is absolutely a part of the historical story, but I found it difficult to explain in a satisfactory way to little kids.
The story is divided into sections of chapters, so several chapters would be spent following one storyline. At my kids current ages, they just need something a bit more episodic.
Overall this would be a fine book for an independent reader in the 8-11 range. The story is engaging and the language is witty with great vocabulary. It just wasn’t the right one for us.
****
For us it was more like a 2.5 star read. I used it as a read aloud for a kindergartner and a preschooler. Some of the storytelling was just a bit too subtle for them - heavy use of disguise, irony, clever turns of phrase, subterfuge, etc. A lot of the story was lost on them at 5 and 3.
Robin Hood retellings are often a kid’s first foray into stories with moral ambiguity/dilemnas, and again I think in that area, this story proved too mature for my kids. Some Robin Hood retellings lean hard into the “robbing the rich to give to the poor” element of the story, but this one definitely has Robin Hood as a more ambiguous trickster type character and the light side of his personality is less obvious to kids. There is also a heavy emphasis on corrupt clergy, which is absolutely a part of the historical story, but I found it difficult to explain in a satisfactory way to little kids.
The story is divided into sections of chapters, so several chapters would be spent following one storyline. At my kids current ages, they just need something a bit more episodic.
Overall this would be a fine book for an independent reader in the 8-11 range. The story is engaging and the language is witty with great vocabulary. It just wasn’t the right one for us.
June 29, 2024
Fun, funny, well written. Great inro. Using for MS medieval history/lit class.
July 7, 2025
Listened tonight with my 8 and 10 year old. Good to learn story of Robin Hood, but my boys weren’t super into it.
September 8, 2025
Ugh, we are spending too much time in the car lately, so I decided to find some audiobooks for the kids. Picked this one for Soren and he really enjoyed it. Now he wants to watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights :)
September 26, 2025
Fam read aloud for CC Cycle 2
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews