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Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England
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.
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.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
13 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Diane Stanley
79 books178 followersDiane 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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 8, 2024
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.
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.
March 14, 2020
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!
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!
January 31, 2021
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.
March 25, 2019
Our family read-aloud in honour of Queen Elizabeth I who died this day, March 24, 1603.
April 21, 2021
Really good, long picture book.
May 7, 2018
An excellent biographical picture book of Queen Elizabeth I.
December 2, 2025
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2021
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.
April 2, 2022
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.
March 4, 2023
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.
December 5, 2024
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.
February 15, 2020
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.
February 17, 2017
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.
October 6, 2019
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.
April 29, 2020
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
March 10, 2022
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.
July 7, 2017
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
March 4, 2018
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.
May 8, 2019
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.
September 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, lots of information and not at all boring. I learnt a lot and the children enjoyed it as well.
September 9, 2020
It was kinda scary, but other than that it was really good!
February 23, 2021
📖 with Grace
May 17, 2021
Good living book!
April 18, 2022
Childhood book
July 6, 2022
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)
June 8, 2023
Great little history book with nice illustrations.
June 19, 2023
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.
November 27, 2023
This was a read-aloud in our homeschool studies! It was enjoyed by grades 2-7.
November 7, 2009
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England
Grades 4-6
Non-Fiction Social Studies
Diane Stanley’s beautifully detailed paintings capture the geographical, social, religious and political history of England during the 1500s. There is a moderate amount of text and detailed illustrations that are rich in historical information, explaining the religious and political climate of England during the 1500s. The authors, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema provide an interesting study of a royal family that put the “fun” in dysfunctional, telling a story that reads like a mythological folktale about betrayal, deception, murderous plots, injustice, tragedies, victories and such mysterious qualities as luck and fate. All of these elements are sure to get students interested in this study of history. The story begins with the reign of King Henry VIII, who wanted a son to rule England after his death, but whose wife of seventeen years, Catherine of Aragon, only bore him a daughter, Mary. His desperate need for a son led him to ask the Pope to declare his marriage illegal, which the Pope refused to do. Henry decided to resolve the issue by forming the Church of England, forcing all citizens to become members. Though his intent was to have an excuse to leave his wife, he changed England’s religious history forever by forcing the citizens of England to break from the Catholic Church. As head of the Church he created new rules about marriage and was finally able to leave Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, who was sure to have a son. Anne gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Elizabeth, and who unbeknownst to all would one day become one of the most intelligent, powerful and influential rulers of England. After several failed attempts to give the King a son, Anne was put to death for treason by none other than her own beloved husband. King Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, finally gave him a son, Edward. The son Henry had risked so much to have dies a mere six years after becoming king. Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, was next in line to the throne, but made the mistake of marrying the future King of Spain, Prince Phillip. By the end of Edward’s reign, many English had accepted the new Protestant Church, but Mary and Phillip were devout Catholics who forced citizens to change their religion all over again. Mary burned more than 300 subjects for heresy when they clung to their Protestant faith, and after five years of rule “Bloody Mary” died, leaving behind no children. Much to the relief of English citizens, at long last Elizabeth became the new monarch. The rest is history. Students would really enjoy this book because it tells history by giving an interesting narrative about the people behind the religious, political and social history of England, making the study of the Elizabethan Age much more engaging and easy for the students to understand.
Language Arts/Social Studies
Grades 4-6
Students can write about their favorite part of this historic story and compare and contrast Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, with either her father King Henry VIII or Elizabeth.
For Social Studies students can learn more about how British political history relates to early American political history in lessons about secularity of government and freedom of religion known as “Separation of Church and State,” credited to the English political philosopher John Locke. “Separation of Church and State,” is covered in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Grades 4-6
Non-Fiction Social Studies
Diane Stanley’s beautifully detailed paintings capture the geographical, social, religious and political history of England during the 1500s. There is a moderate amount of text and detailed illustrations that are rich in historical information, explaining the religious and political climate of England during the 1500s. The authors, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema provide an interesting study of a royal family that put the “fun” in dysfunctional, telling a story that reads like a mythological folktale about betrayal, deception, murderous plots, injustice, tragedies, victories and such mysterious qualities as luck and fate. All of these elements are sure to get students interested in this study of history. The story begins with the reign of King Henry VIII, who wanted a son to rule England after his death, but whose wife of seventeen years, Catherine of Aragon, only bore him a daughter, Mary. His desperate need for a son led him to ask the Pope to declare his marriage illegal, which the Pope refused to do. Henry decided to resolve the issue by forming the Church of England, forcing all citizens to become members. Though his intent was to have an excuse to leave his wife, he changed England’s religious history forever by forcing the citizens of England to break from the Catholic Church. As head of the Church he created new rules about marriage and was finally able to leave Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, who was sure to have a son. Anne gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Elizabeth, and who unbeknownst to all would one day become one of the most intelligent, powerful and influential rulers of England. After several failed attempts to give the King a son, Anne was put to death for treason by none other than her own beloved husband. King Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, finally gave him a son, Edward. The son Henry had risked so much to have dies a mere six years after becoming king. Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, was next in line to the throne, but made the mistake of marrying the future King of Spain, Prince Phillip. By the end of Edward’s reign, many English had accepted the new Protestant Church, but Mary and Phillip were devout Catholics who forced citizens to change their religion all over again. Mary burned more than 300 subjects for heresy when they clung to their Protestant faith, and after five years of rule “Bloody Mary” died, leaving behind no children. Much to the relief of English citizens, at long last Elizabeth became the new monarch. The rest is history. Students would really enjoy this book because it tells history by giving an interesting narrative about the people behind the religious, political and social history of England, making the study of the Elizabethan Age much more engaging and easy for the students to understand.
Language Arts/Social Studies
Grades 4-6
Students can write about their favorite part of this historic story and compare and contrast Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, with either her father King Henry VIII or Elizabeth.
For Social Studies students can learn more about how British political history relates to early American political history in lessons about secularity of government and freedom of religion known as “Separation of Church and State,” credited to the English political philosopher John Locke. “Separation of Church and State,” is covered in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
October 12, 2011
Even though this book was in a picture-book format, it wasn't too simple and not at all childish-like. The author was very skilled at making a nonfictional book interesting and I read it with eagerness. I've noticed that people not only tend to write picture-books for little kids but for everyone, so that it would be simple to understand and very easy and fun to learn a bit more about a topic. "Good Queen Bess" really did an amazing job at that and the author (as well as the illustrater) framed the whole book beautifully. I thought Queen Elizabeth I of England was a good queen but this book made me view her a bit differently and truly brought her to life as a normal woman and a very kind-hearted person. It was surprising since not only did Elizabeth I live in England and a long, long time ago but was also a queen, that's why I was very impressed at the simple way and style Diane wrote this book. The illustrations weren't too many like in a lot of kid's picture-books but were very beautiful and I felt as if I wanted to draw them myself. If you were wondering, the text was just the right amount on every page and the author did a great job on writing the book so that it didn't get boring or overdone. For such a short (compared to other books today) book the author sure wrote a lot about Queen Elizabeth's life, her adulthood, and even her childhood. But the author didn't even stop there, she made her readers feel as if they were practically in the Elizabethan Age and showed the political and religious conflicts and history of the time to perfection. I'd recommend...
Interest level: Medium
Grade level: 5th-9th
Interest level: Medium
Grade level: 5th-9th
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews