Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England

by Diane Stanley, Peter Vennema

She was a queen whose strong will, shrewd diplomacy, religious tolerance and great love for her subjects won the hearts of her people and the admiration of her enemies.

Elizabeth was born into an age of religious strife, in which plots and factions were everywhere and private beliefs could be punished by death. When she became queen, her counselors urged her to marry quickly and turn the responsibilities of governing over to her husband, But she outwitted them by stalling, changing her mind; and playing one side against another, as she steered her country to the glorious era of peace and security that would be called the Elizabethan Age.

Elizabeth's forceful personality, colorful court, and devoted subjects come vividly to life in this stellar picture-book biography. When it was first published, Good Queen Bess was named a Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Library Association Notable Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, and an IRA Teachers' Choice.

In this welcome reissue, celebrated author and illustrator Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema, paint an impressive portrait of the remarkable queen who loved her people so dearly and ruled them so well.

Genres: History, Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Historical, School

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Isabella Leake]

Second reading: Because my middle child asked to reread it. Be still my heart!

Original review:
Some school books give me the excitement of discovering something I didn't know much about (like the Joan of Arc and Da Vinci biographies I've already rhapsodized about). Others, like this book, give me the joy of sharing something already beloved with my children.

I just adore Elizabeth I, so it was a pure delight to read this book, so lavishly illustrated and so beautifully written, together. And it was wonderful to see my childrens' burgeoning understanding of history unfold a bit further as they connected the experience of Princess Elizabeth with two figures they already knew well, Henry VIII and Bloody Mary. They got to evaluate Elizabeth's life and reign—full of good things compared to her predecessors, but also containing some things to be troubled by, like her treatment of Mary of Scotland—when they asked "is Queen Elizabeth good or bad?" They felt appropriately triumphant at the defeat of the Spanish armada. It was a lovely reading experience, and once again I marvel at how Diane Stanley can make complex history so readable (and visually appealing) for children.

[Abigail]

Wife-and-husband team Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema - whose other picture-book biographies include Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens: The Man who had Great Expectations - here tell the story of England's Queen Elizabeth I, for whom the 'Elizabethan Age' was named. From her father, King Henry VIII, and his pursuit (through six wives) of a son, to Elizabeth's own girlhood, her accession to the throne, and her long reign, Good Queen Bess covers the major events and ideas of its subject's life and times, introducing complex topics - religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, issues of succession - in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way.

Although an excellent biography for young readers, I do have to agree with those who have said that this is not - despite being a picture-book - a title that would be appropriate for very young children. It's too text heavy for that, with concepts that are a little too involved, and would be better aimed at children who are independent readers. Those children for whom it is well suited, however, are really in for a treat! With a fascinating topic, and gorgeous goauche illustrations (I really prefer the cover of the edition I read, with its decorative border, to the reissued edition, which simply has Elizabeth's face on a deep maroon background), Good Queen Bess is simply a fabulous children's biography!

[Betsy]

I’ve found Diane Stanley’s long form picture book biographies are excellent for both kids, and adults who vaguely remember a few facts about historical figures. Good Queen Bess was no exception. Looking forward to The Bard of Avon next.

[Shiloah]

Our family read-aloud in honour of Queen Elizabeth I who died this day, March 24, 1603.

[Rachael Stoldt]

Really good, long picture book.

[Jean-Marie]

An excellent biographical picture book of Queen Elizabeth I.

[Rollins Jaggers]

Good Queen Bess tells the story of Elizabeth l of England. It describes her birth, rise to power, and reign as ruler of England. It has great art work to accompany the writing. The storytelling is clear and easy to follow. It does have depth unlike many picture books. It starts with Elizabeth birth and early life and slowly progresses so the reader has a feeling of Elizabeth mindset. Her father and the story of his succession was something that caught my attention. So many courses of action that ultimately led Elizabeth to take the throne. The book covers ideas around religion, English royalty, and men and women roles in royalty and power. It is a longer picture book than most. It also goes in detail when describing major events like Elizabeth refusal to marry and the battle with the Spanish armada. I really enjoyed this book and shared it with my sister. I would recommend it to young readers but not very young. I think it would work best for middle school readers.

[Sarah]

This biography covers the life of Queen Elizabeth I from the story of her birth to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to her death at 70. The text is pretty detailed covering the topics like religious tensions, her avoidance of marriage, exploration, entertainment (including Shakespeare), and important political relationships of the time. I have read and watched a lot on this time period, but still found a few new gems in there. Even in covering some scandalous material, the text is straightforward in relaying the history, not gratuitous or explicit at all, making this entirely appropriate for upper elementary kids.

[Susan Webb]

As a history buff who has read many books about this glorious queen and era, I found this children's book utterly fascinating and well written. It is a wonderful history lesson in picture book style. The author deftly weaves the tale of this intelligent queen and the tumultuous times in which she reigned - all at a child's level of understanding. The illustrations are depicted in old world style and inspiration taken from master's portraits of the day. If you are looking for a wonderful history lesson about Queen Elizabeth for your middle-school children, this is a great read and captures many important milestones in Elizabeth's life and reign. I highly recommend it.

[Sandi]

I read this book to my 11 year old son for homeschool. We have read other Diane Stanley books and we have enjoyed all that we've read. The writing and the illustrations work well together in this book to narrate the story of Queen Elizabeth I in an overview way that a child can grasp. At the end of reading this book we had a better understanding of who Queen Elizabeth I was and her impact in England and history.

[Nancy Wann]

This book is good for kids 6 through 9 years old. The book goes through how Queen Elizabeth the First of England came to be queen as well as what happened during her reain. It even mentions some of her relationships with other people and how that affected her. It shows her in a positive light, by highlighting all the good things she has done. This would be an informative book that teachers can use when going over history about England during that time.

[Amanda]

Easy to read introduction to Queen Elizabeth with well done illustrations. The book covers her life well, including controversies and tensions and love and politicking but at a high level where kids won't get overwhelmed by details. It gives them a nice framework to start filling in when they get a little older. Very happy to add to our personal library.

[Christy Love]

This book is very educational. I would categorize it as an older elementary book. There is quite a bit of text for each page, but pictures to go along with them. This would make an excellent book for a report. There is a lot to glean from.

[Gretchen]

I thought that this was a well-written biography of Elizabeth the I. It covers all the important issues but keeps it on a level that students could understand. I have read a great deal about Queen Elizabeth so it was nice to see a "simplified" version done very well.

[James Tetley]

Read as a part of the homeschooling curriculum. An enjoyable read about Elizabeth, which gave some helpful insights into her amazing intellect and establishment of the British nation as a world empire

[Amy Harris]

We have read several of Diane Stanley's biographies for children and they never disappoint. This one about Queen Elizabeth is beautifully illustrated and handles the complexity of the religious wars and other events during her life very well.

[Karen]

Excellent book! Well written and beautiful illustrations. Easy to understand the complicated history of the time. Will definitely put this on my list to buy..krb 7/6/17

[Patreesha]

A straight forward overview of "The Story of Elizabeth I of England", phrased in a palatable way for younger audiences. Didn't much care for most of the illustrations.

[Jennifer Wilkey]

A wonderful picture book that makes a complicated time in history easy to understand. The beautiful illustrations helped to keep the attention of my 7-9 year old students.

[Suzanne Simpson]

I really enjoyed this book, lots of information and not at all boring. I learnt a lot and the children enjoyed it as well.

[=☆Silver-Lining☆= (Huge Reading Slump)]

It was kinda scary, but other than that it was really good!

[Melynda]

📖 with Grace

[Amy]

Good living book!

[Emilia Thwaites]

Childhood book

[Colin]

A good kid-friendly biography of Queen Elizabeth I that I read with my little kids as part of our homeschool curriculum (the current chapter is about the Elizabethan Age)

[Lindsey]

Great little history book with nice illustrations.

[Cori Thonen]

A very well done and concise biography on Elizabeth I. The illustrations were eye-catching and the narrative got the main plot across without give a lot of extraneous details.

[Tracy Reed]

This was a read-aloud in our homeschool studies! It was enjoyed by grades 2-7.

[Logan Thune]

Pretty good overview of Good Queen Bess and the complex context surrounding her life.

[Rebecca Moore]

Pre-read for AO:F1C. Standard Diane Stanley biography—really good!