Beowulf

by Welwyn Wilton Katz, László Gál (Illustrator)

This unique retelling of the ancient Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is told from the point of view of fourteen-year-old Wiglaf, Beowulf's youngest kinsman. Through Wiglaf's visions and the stories he hears from his grandfather, a riveting tale unfolds -- how Beowulf saved the Danes by fighting the evil troll Grendel, and how he then killed Grendel's enraged mother. When Wiglaf meets Beowulf, he becomes the youngest warrior in his court, and his fierce loyalty to the king leads to a surprising end in a deadly fight with a fire-breathing dragon.


Carefully researched and true in spirit to the Old English poem, Welwyn Wilton Katz has written a compelling version of a literary classic suited to young readers. Gal's illustrations have the brilliant color of an illuminated manuscript.

Genres: Picture Books

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 1999

About the author

Everyone has interests. Some people like my father had very few but he knew everything about them and received an OBE for the work he did on one of them during the second world war. Obviously this anecdote shows that having only a few interests isn't a bad thing. However, sometimes I think that the more things people are interested in, the more chance they have of becoming a traditionally published author. For example, here is a vastly incomplete list of my own interests: making jewelry (which I never thought would enter into my writing but is starting to, in the book I'm mentally reconstructing now), Rumi (because his poems are so beautiful and help me step back onto my own spiritual path if I've gone astray for a time), standing stones and dowsing and other new age tidbits as you will see in my book Sun God Moon Witch, playing the transverse flute and recorder and learning the Indian flute and the Japanese (zen) shakuhachi, folklore, legends, mythology [as most readers will see were resources in my books [book:False Face], The Third Magic,Witchery Hill Come Like Shadows), a writerly interest in character growth over certain excellent television series such as NCIS and Bones, yoga (both physical and its philosophical monism - a spiritual path I find fascinating), social issues such as prejudice and the changing of country boundaries because of it as shown in my books False Faceand Come Like Shadows, interspecies communication particularly with whales as in my book Whalesinger, climate change as has already outpaced my imagination as shown in my book Time Ghost, sketching, gorgeously impossible golf courses even though I don't play golf, Stonehenge and other standing stones as well as the math and science of prehistoric peoples, online shopping, murder mystery novels, J.S.Bach's and Mozart's music though mostly I prefer medieval music and some modern songs such as "You" by Fisher (album The Lovely Years),"Japanese Music Box" by Itsuki No Komoriuta (album "Forest" played by George Winston), "The Lady of Shalott" by Loreena McKennitt (album The Vist), "Leonard Cohen Live in London" (double album, all of it), "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Willie Nelson (album Stardust), "Autumn" by George Winston (whole album), "Fragile" by Jorane (The You and the Now), and "Words Can't Go There" by John Kaizan Neptune (album of same name).

Like you I love movies, nature, some TV, and I play bridge and even some video games (Wii, PS2, Nintendo DS: favourites Kingdom Hearts, and P4). Books, of course. We'll find out more about each other in my blog, I'm sure.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear students,
Were you assigned Beowulf to read for school? Do not try to cheat by using this book as it is very different from the original and you will get a bad grade. The most accurate parts are the tone of pathos which is present in some portions of the poem, and the bit where Grendel gets his arm ripped off.

If you just want to read about a vaguely medieval warrior hero and his psychic sidekick fighting monsters then -- well, this still isn't the best book in that category, but it is ok. And short. But really you'd have more fun reading the real Beowulf, or one of the many vaguely medieval fantasy novels that feature swordsmen and wizards fighting monsters. I'm sure you can track one down.

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las ilustraciones de Laszlo Gal en esta edición son una maravilla. Tanto para aquellos que no hayan leído esta obra como para los fanáticos, vale mucho la pena.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this was a fun read! The movies are so dark, but this was just a delightful read. I highly recommend it.

[Christianna Woodling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title:Beowulf
Author: Welwyn Wilton Katz
Illustrator: Laszlo Gal
Genre: European Folktale
Theme(s): good vs evil, wisdom, bravery, fate, loyalty,
Opening line/sentence: Deep night lay over the three small buildings of the last steading of the Waegmundings.
Brief Book Summary: Beowulf has a large reputation for being a brave and amazing warrior. The Danes call upon him to defeat the demon Grendel. Beowulf kills both Grendel and his mother when she comes after him for revenge. Beowulf is a hero but once he is old he fights a dragon and kills the dragon, but he dies because the dragon infected him with venom before being killed. The Danes bury Beowulf with massive treasure honoring the hero.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste, details bellow):
Val Nielsen
CLCD-CM Magazine, March 17, 2000 (Vol.VI, No.14))
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
“In Beowulf, Katz's faith in her young readers' intelligence, combined with her ability to translate mythology into gripping stories, has given middle years’ readers a rare chance to enjoy a story which has echoed through literature for more than a thousand years. No school library, elementary, junior or high school, should miss acquiring this treasure.”

Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste, details bellow):
Louise Foerster
CLCD- (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 13, No. 4)) 
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
“because the story is not too long and involved, and the text is very well illustrated, this classic will hold the interest of the reader. Nearly every other page contains a fabulous painting based on the art of the Vikings.”

Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with both of these reviews! I read Beowulf when I was in high school but my edition did not have pictures and it was much harder to comprehend. Katz has written this folktale in a way that is comprehendible and engaging for upper elementary students and above yet still stays true to the roots of the story. The illustrations are noteworthy and bring the story to life through incredible and detailed pictures.

Evaluation of Literary Elements: The illustrations of this book are the best part. They are carefully detailed to the point where you could erase the text and still be able to read the story. The detailing and color schemes of the demon Grendel and his mother are both terrifying and strategically designed. Properties from Molly Bang’s Picture This such as dark colors and sharp facial expressions have been used to create a scary effect.

Consideration of Instructional Application: This book I feel is too long for a read aloud, but this might be a book that I would teach to 7th or 8th graders. I would assign a few pages at a time and then have in class discussions to check for comprehension. As a comprehension extension activity, I would have students play “Beowulf Bingo”. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...

[Jennifer Fertig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read-aloud to my 3rd and 6th graders. I would encourage anyone who wants a little understanding of Beowulf to read this version. It's a great first taste of this story written from the perspective of Wiglaf and with all those from the Waegmundings having a gifting. I liked that. It was fun for our girls to see that some of their favorite stories like the The Hobbit had similarities with this story, and that Tolkien and others loved the ballads and legends of old and how important those stories were and still are. Books like this encourage a love of history.

[Ledys · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I never read another version of Beowulf, I think I can be content this is the one I read. I loved the treatment of the legend through Wiglaf's eyes, and how that gave the story a happy ending despite everything else that happens. Loved it!

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the names were easier to pronounce!!! LOL! One of the classics to enrich my life.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lizzy and I really enjoyed this rendition of a classic. Who would have thought since it's pretty much a guy book.

[Krista Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oversized. Very much a narrative. 63 pages longs - illustrations, full size, almost every other page. Illustrations are nice, but I'm not sure kids would love them.