The Hero Beowulf

by Eric A. Kimmel, Leonard Everett Fisher (Illustrator)

The epic warrior from earliest English literature

Beowulf was always a hero. As a child, he borrowed his father's sword to attack a nest of savage trolls that preyed on travelers. Now a young man, he seeks to defend the Danish king
Hrothgar from a monster named Grendel. King Hrothgar asks Beowulf, "Are you not afraid?" Beowulf replies, "Why should I fear? If I am fated to win, then Grendel cannot defeat me. If
I am fated to lose, then it has been my destiny since the day I was born." Sure of his role, if not of his success, Beowulf prepares to battle Grendel . . .

This story of Beowulf is an introduction to the classic confrontation between good and evil, pared to perfection by the author and brought to life in monumental acrylic paintings by the artist.

Genres: Picture Books, Mythology, Childrens, Classics, British Literature, Fantasy, Adventure

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2005

About the author

Eric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author/illustrator team Eric A. Kimmel and Leonard Everett Fisher, whose previous picture-book collaboration, Don Quixote and the Windmills , retold an episode from the great Spanish novel, Don Quixote , here attempt something similar with the epic Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf . After a description of some of Beowulf's childhood deeds, the narrative here concentrates on the fight between the hero and the monster Grendel, plaguing the court of the Danish king, Hrothgar...

Unlike a number of other children's retellings of the story of Beowulf, The Hero Beowulf concentrates on the first episode of the poem, and does not address the second two, in which the hero defeats Grendel's mother, and then, in old age, a terrible dragon. Although I wouldn't say I disliked Kimmel's text - this is, in fact, the fifty-first title I have read from this author, which surely offers testimony that I enjoy his work - I was disappointed at the limited nature of his retelling, and tend to prefer James Rumford's Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold , when it comes to picture-book versions of this story. Those seeking longer, chapter-book versions for older children might consider Rosemary Sutcliff's Beowulf , or Ian Serraillier's Beowulf the Warrior . Fisher's accompanying artwork, which looks like it was done in oil paint, is expressive, but here again I preferred the visuals in the Rumford title. There's nothing exactly wrong with this Kimmel/Fisher retelling, but (as should be evident) I think there are better versions out there, versions that offer a fuller, more comprehensive introduction to this masterpiece of world literature.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

We were a bit disappointed in this storybook format. They left out the final crusade of his defeat of Grendel’s mother. Great pictures, though.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as part of our study of the Vikings. I try to introduce these "staples of our culture" at a young age, but in a fairly gentle manner. I'm hoping that as they encounter these later in life, they'll recognize the plots and characters and will be able to understand them better.

Anyways, on to this book. This tells the first part of the poem. We'd previously read some of the poem and so the kids were all "hey, this is like the poem we read." The text is not a poem though, it is simplified and written as prose. A bit on the dry side though. Still, the kids were all into it. They're boys.

I didn't like the illustrations. They seemed stiff and lacked any sense of action. On a personal note I thought Beowulf should have been much cuter than depicted. The boys thought Grendel "was disgusting, way grosser than the other picture we saw of him." Not too scary though. My 4-yr-old sat right on my lap the whole time and didn't seemt to care. Again, they're boys.

Taken as a whole I think I'd like to find a better version of this story. Problem is there are not many (or any) children's version of the epic poem. That being said I'd use this again if I can't find anything better. I did wish for a pronounciation guide as some of the Danish names are a bit tricky.

Sensitive kids will probably not like this.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Color me surprised that there is a picture book rendition of Beowulf that is not only acceptable, but actually maintains the heart and meat of the story for a younger audience. We see the grotesque nature of Grendel, the heroic escapades of Beowulf, and even an accurate, albeit brief, glimpse into the world of Norse tradition; all the while being immersed in the story of a dramatic hero with larger than life feats to name.

Bravo.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing pictures and an over-simplified and abridged story.

[Krystal Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This re-telling of the epic tale of the hero Beowulf is targeted towards an older elementary audience. It is definitely an understandable version of the tale, and is easier for younger audiences (and older audiences as well) to hear and understand the story. This version follows the same tale of the hero Beowulf as he completes heroic feats before heading to the biggest of them all: the battle against the monster Grendel.
The illustrations in this version are painted, and while they set the scene, the lack of details left me wanting more. Looking at a picture, it would match some of the action on the page but I would have liked to see more details of the setting, the characters, and better viewpoints of scenes such as the battle and the end where Beowulf defeats Grendel. I would recommend using this book to translate and break down the plot details for a younger audience, but wouldn't rely on it for a visual interpretation of the original tale.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kimmel is usually wonderful, but this adaptation just doesn't convey anything. Something about fate, something about cowardice, something about sacrifice. But what those somethings are, gosh if I can tell from this book. Not crazy about the pictures either.

Four decades ago in high school we read some of the poem and I distinctly remember a literary and poetic resonance, and especially lines preceding the second battle, with the mother. I guess I'll try again, this time choosing the edition by Seamus Heaney, probably Beowulf (as with sacred texts, goodreads does not name a primary author).

[Sara Tiede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite illustrations, but not bad. Beowulf looks a little doughboy-ish for my taste. But a creative retelling of the first episode of the saga. Descriptive enough it's not meant for youngest readers, but no gore is shown aside from some red for blood when Grendel's arm tears off. The author added some details but they all fit well with the character and existing story. Good for about middle elementary and up or so.

[Private Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids version of the classic. Loved it. Good pictures. I would SO much rather read this than about today's lame super heroes. They are just boys compared to Beowulf, Arminius, and Arthur.

[sch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good kids version (homeschool). Mangles the story but decent language and powerful illustrations.

[Jess Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a great retelling if the second part of the story was included.

[Morgan Castro]

I think this book would be appropriate for children in 2nd-4th grade. It is about the mythological warrior Beowulf and how he goes to fight the monster Grendel.

[Scopic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art style was interestingly eerie--the characters were often depicted from unique angles.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy adaptation of one of the oldest surviving long poems written in Old English. Feels a lot like Greek Mythology.

[Lizeth Velazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimmel, Eric A. (retold/adapted). The Hero Beowulf. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.

Characters: Beowulf (hero), his father Ecgtheow, Hygelac (King) Grendel (a savage monster), Hrothgar king and Wealhtheow the queen of Spear-Danes.
Setting: Nordic region of Sweden and Denmark, the sea, Spear-Danes at the Heorot Hall.
Theme: Courage, strength, battle of good vs. evil
Genre: Legendary epic hero
Plot/Summary: Beowulf has been known as a hero and for good deeds. Since he was 10 years old he displayed uncommon courage and physical strength. Beowulf surpassed his father's battle abilities. For this reason, Beowulf is called upon by the KIng and queen of Spear-Dane because of the Monster Grendel who takes over the Heorot Hall at night and has devoured all of the best fighting men of the country. Beowulf accepts and promises to kill the monster and bring back to safety the kingdom. As always when Beowulf encounters a giant or monsters he challenges it head on and displays an attitude of unrelenting commitment to his promise of the king and queen. Beowulf has always won his battles. Could this one be his last?
Target Audience: Grade: 3-7th and as a reald aloud as young as 1st grade.
Personal/Critical Response: At first the book's cover illustration did not appeal to me and thus the story. However, I started reading it I could appreciate Beowulf's perseverance, courage, and strength. The inside illustrations turned out to be appealing and with true viking vibe.

[sarafem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retelling of the epic Beowulf for a younger audience. I'm going to sound like a broken record I know, but I'm just not sure this is really an appropriate story for kids. This book depicts the first section of Beowulf, wherein he defeats Grendel. It kind of glosses over the purpose of it all and focuses on the gore and violence, and if I personally were to write a children's book based on Beowulf, I would maybe want to point out the whys rather than the hows. The point should not be to teach warfare techniques or for all the little boys in the audience to shout "Coooool" when Grendel retreats, bleeding his way to slow death. The text is also probably not as engaging as it could be.

That said, I like the idea of introducing children to classic literature early on. I would have liked this book to be done differently, but with the right intelligent and interested kids, this will do nicely.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Independent Reading: 3nd -4th grade

Kimmel retold and adapted the epic poem “Beowulf” into this traditional English literature, “The Hero Beowulf”. This is a narrative style legend that explores a brave hero from the age of ten who bravely fought creatures despite their size or magic powers. The text contains simple vocabulary with some challenging words. Fisher designed a wide array of images that portrayed Beowulf as normal looking person and the creatures were very detailed and powerful. In this way it emphasized the powers that Beowulf had as expressed in the text. I believe that this reading will appeal to children because of its short length and the fact that a movie was made with its name.

Reading Comprehension/Science

Lesson Plan: Reading- Create questions that they can answer from the story to test their comprehension.

[Kayla Pollema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beowulf is a story that is about a hero that battles many creatures from the ancient world.

The illustrations in this book have a classic style that matches the story that is written on the pages. The story and illustrations play off one another in every way. The story is a classic; the illustrations are created with paint and textured brushes. The texture used not only is in the medium but also in the use of shadows. The shadows show depth and create a feeling of a photograph. Painting in this way reminds the reader that this is a timeless story that has survived though the ages and has entertained many people.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's note at the end of the book provides an unbelievable amount of information. I knew Beowulf was old, but didn't know it was the "oldest surviving epic poem in English literature." Nor did I know all of the history surrounding it. So there clearly is no problem with attribution with this book.

I also liked that there was an internet link give for more information. I plan on sharing that with some teachers I know.

As for this book itself, the story is told clearly and used language children would be able to understand. And the illustrations (paintings by Leonard Everett Fisher) are simply beautiful.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What a guy! He tore off the monster's arm! I can't even do that," thus sayeth my five year old as we read this book today. We're sitting on the cusp of where our ancient education spills over into our year in the middle ages, and what better way than to dive into the ancient myths and legends of the celts, normans, and anglo-saxons. She was very pleased that this particular picture book could give the story in "one-sitting, all today" as opposed to the stories of Odysseus and Troy which all took weeks of chapter by chapter to finish. I foresee reading this again and again over the coming months.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ancient tale of the viking hero Beowulf’s defeat of the monster Grendel is retold in picture book form. Although the straightforward storytelling is easy to understand, it lacks somewhat in excitement and may not be riveting enough to the hold young readers’ attention. Fishers’s paintings are simple and primitive with broad areas of color but don’t add much excitement to the epic story. An additional purchase for libraries wishing to build the 398.2 section, this retelling is solid if not stellar.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read Hinds graphic adaptation of Beowulf, but my library doesn't own it. So this rides me over while waiting for the inter-library loan to come in. I don't remember the storyline from the unit we did way back in high school english, but I gather this is a decent adaptation of part of the epic. The prose is bland, though. The illustrations are also bland and not my style, not really up to the epic nature of the tale. The version by James Rumford is better in pretty much every way (language, art, completeness).

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at the library yesterday, and the nephews really liked it! At the beach today, James kept saying, "I see that Wolf guy's ship on the horizon!" Interestingly, the violence did not really come through in the reading - yes, Beowulf tore Grendel's arm off and Grendel eventually staggered away to die in the swamps but that's the kind of thing superheroes do every day so the boys didn't bat an eyelash.

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice book to expose my children to the epic poem "Beowulf." They liked the pictures and came away understanding one of Beowulf's adventures. We followed the book up with a 30 min video from the library entitled "Beowulf" by Schlessinger Media. The video recounts all three of Beowulf's adventures.

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number five. At this point, maybe because I'm saturated, this one seemed a bit over simplified. It would be a good one to tackle first, or to show to a younger reader. Nice interplay of text and picture with illlustrator Leonard Everett Fisher.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eric A. Kimmel adapts another classic into a picture book. A very good introduction to the story. This one ends with the death of Grendel and no mention of his dangerous mother.

[Josette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the legend. My 5 year old was drawing pictures of Grendel after we read it.

[Emilee M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a great way to tell children the story of Beowulf. It brought back memories of the real book while keeping it pg for the kids.

[Fiona Endsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice(though abbreviated)introduction to Beowulf for very young children, my two-year-old loved it!

[Graceann Oswald · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed a little graphic to read to younger grades but the history behind the story is something that the upper elementary grades would probably like to learn about.