William Shakespeare's: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare Retellings

by Bruce Coville (Adaptor), Dennis Nolan (Illustrator)

One night two young couples run into an enchanted forest in an attempt to escape their problems. But these four humans do not realize that the forest is filled with fairies and hobgoblins who love making mischief. When Oberon, the Fairy King, and his loyal hobgoblin servant, Puck, intervene in human affairs, the fate of these young couples is magically and hilariously transformed. Like a classic fairy tale, this retelling of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedy is perfect for older readers who will find much to treasure and for younger readers who will love hearing the story read aloud.

Genres: Classics, Plays, Picture Books, Shakespeare, Fiction, Poetry, Fantasy

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Trace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that there is a whole slew of people who object to reading adaptations and abridged versions of classics. And for a mature audience, I'm against abridged versions too..... but I've chosen to use adaptations, re-tellings and abridged versions of certain classics with my son as a first exposure.... I've done this with Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad - and he will tell you that the Odyssey is his all time favorite story. Mission accomplished - when he's older and ready to tackle Homer - he'll do so with fond memories and a bit of knowledge with which to work from...instead of feeling intimidated!

I'm choosing to do the same thing with Shakespeare... my strategy will be to introduce a child's adaptation and then to watch a child-friendly production as an introduction to some of the Bard's works.... hoping that he'll grow up knowing that he loves Shakespeare...

Bruce Coville's adaptation of A Midsummere's Night Dream was fantastic... the pictures were captivating and the wording gave just the perfect flavor as a first intro to this play! I look forward to reading more of his adaptations!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just bought this for my mom. She doesn't know the story of the play and wants to, as my nephew was recently cast in a kid's version of the play as Oberon. Of course, I had to read it first before bringing it to her.

A complicated plot is told here in a clear fashion; very nice illustrations too.

I knew what author to go to for this because I'd bought Coville's version of Macbeth when my son was cast in an adult production of that play when he was only eight (as Macduff's son) and I wanted him to know the story of the play he was acting in.

Part of a great series of Shakespeare retellings, enriching for both kids and adults.

[Gia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this while babysitting and I couldn’t put it down! This was hilarious and I applaud Shakespeare for his creativity and humor. I too want to have a crazy dreamlike experience and wake up trying to figure out what is real or a midsummer’s dream (:

(I know it’s a kids book but plz let me have this 😩)

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily read in one sitting, this picture book is a great introduction to Shakespeare's play. It's an odd and slightly humorous story; called a comedy but not exactly hilarious.

This adaptation was well done, and I liked the illustrations. This contains probably my favorite depictions of Titania's little fairies as well as Nick Bottom. 😄

[Brett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Shakespeare, despite warranted criticisms I've heard about him never using one word when twenty will do. I remember the first time that I read this play I had a sort of a revelation. The bits and pieces I'd tried to read of Shakespeare's before this had never made any sense to me. It wasn't until reading it for an English class in middle school that I started to make sense of it, to be able to follow the flow of the dialogue and pick out the meaning behind it. I'm in college now and this is the third time I've been asked to read it for a school assignment. And I swear to god, that if I'm ever asked to read and interpret this piece of literature again I will burn whatever institute that's asked this of me straight to the ground. At this point it's like watching a bad romantic comedy where there's some kind of misunderstanding and the whole time you're just mildly annoyed and waiting for them to figure it out. There are literally thousands of other plays out there that are worth studying.

[Libby Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously illustrated adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, this is a wonderful way to introduce the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All my kids (ages 9, 6, and 4) were mesmerized by the realistic and mystical illustrations. I was too!

I want to remember how we were all pulled in and even though I wondered if the text heaviness would keep my young, wiggly boys engaged the whole time, I needn’t have worried. Magical moments together, laughing and soaking in beautiful art together.

If you want to introduce your kids to Shakespeare, this is the way to go.

If you want to introduce your kids to beautiful art, this is the way to go.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely illustrated introduction to the original play. Joy and beautifully illustrated!!

[Private Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eight year old loved this book and was able to read it on his own.

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to on Audible and thoroughly enjoyed. I love to read this play every summer.

[Aneesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely adaptation to introduce children to Shakespeare. I love that it includes some of the original language in the dialogue. Makes it magical.

[Catherine Petrini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming, beautifully illustrated retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream is not meant to be a substitute for reading the play, but to be an entry point into it. Shakespeare's story is retold here by master storyteller Bruce Coville, with enchanting illustrations by Dennis Nolan.

[cammie]

just wanted to say this used to be my favourite book at the school library when i was 6

[Aaron Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"William Shakespeare's: A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a delightful retelling of the classic play, bringing Shakespeare's magical world to a new generation of readers. In this adaptation, the timeless tale of love, mistaken identity, and mischief in the Athenian woods is given a fresh perspective while still staying true to the original story.
The retelling captures the essence of Shakespeare's language and themes while making it accessible and engaging for modern audiences. With its enchanting storytelling and whimsical characters, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is sure to captivate readers, whether they're familiar with the original play or experiencing it for the first time.

[Candy Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why didn't I ever read this before? My sister is in love with William Shakespeare and raves about his writing. She will have your high school students read the books constantly. I love the story. It was cute and devilish. It also was easy to follow. Easy read and fun!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic tale + well-done art + clear writing = a keeper.
Anyone, any age, will enjoy this abbreviated retelling of a timeless story. I appreciated a refresher on the names of the main characters. I will read this with the kids to get their opinions.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice pictures, but I feel slightly morally opposed to a retelling of Shakespeare.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well done. Bruce Coville was able to capture the feel of the bard's prose and make it a story better understood by the average reader. I enjoyed the pictures.

[Carrot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wonderful retelling by Bruce Coville - who by the way signed the copy for my school library - of the famous play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, by the famous writer, Shakespeare. Truly, I agree that adaptations like these will truly help children and adults alike understand the stories enough to get interested, because reading the original is much more complicated. Coville does a brilliant job in explaining it in a simple manner, yet also including the most essential aspects of the play. This was always the play that intrigued me the most, mainly due to the fae elements. I do get how Shakespeare is acclaimed, however the plot does feel a bit too cliche... Well, in the 21st century way so to speak.

Overall, I really appreciated this retelling! The idea and portrayal of it couldn't have been better. I'm curious now, to see if Shakespeare truly deserved his title. Of course, I've never examined anything too deeply about him. I do hope I enjoy the original!

P.S. the funny story is, I took this book (ooh, and before I forget, has amazing, immersive illustrations) out of the library for around half the year... And I read it in a few minutes, and now I'll return them on the last week of school. One of the conclusions to my V-est of IP treatment (quoted by the librarian)... I'll miss the library much more than the school!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic retelling of Shakespeare play! Great illustrations that help kids (and parents) keep the characters straight. Perfect book to introduce Shakespeare to children and getting them ready for reading the true play in his words. I would love to own a copy of this book it was that good..krb 11/8/17

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this to a 5 year old and 7 year old, I wondered if it would be too weird to them, but they loved it so much they've begged me to read it again and again. If you really ham it up on the page about Bottom rehearsing for the play, they crack up laughing! The silliness of this Shakespeare play seems weird for adults but is delightful for kids.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite version of this play. It really helped me to fill in the things that confused me like: Why did the lovers all fall asleep? And how did Oberon change Titania's mind about the changeling boy? Also the art is so lovely. I'm sad that all the Shakespeare books by Bruce Coville are out of print!

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only beautifully illustrated, this retelling of Shakespeare's play is clear enough for my 4 year old to understand and enjoy. The writing is elegant, but not babyish, and the main plot points are all present. My daughter could read and get new things out of it for years.

[Mark Abernathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although you may have seen the play or a screenplay of this book it will not do it justice. This is a wonderful fantasy. It makes the reader wonder if Shakespeare hadn't been into the cups or some Amanita muscaria. Brush up on your English.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been ages since I had read Shakespeare because I need an aid to translate. I enjoyed the simple prose and the clear storyline in this book. The illustrations were better than expected with so much detail, I could almost smell that forest.

[Nathan Forester · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Shakespeare has never been one of my favorites, mainly due to how I am not a fan of romance there are some of his plays that I actually have enjoyed and I do admit I love this adaptation of 'Midsummer Night's Dream' especially with how it is written here.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT!!! Illustrations could have been better, but the story is well told and my 8 year old laughed and laughed. I'm surprised how well she followed the plot.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate retelling with luscious illustrations by Dennis Nolan.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simplified retelling of the Shakespeare play. My 8 year old daughter enjoyed the story, but was not a fan of the artwork.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the retelling, didn't like the illustrations.

[Timilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I greatly appreciate a picture book form of this play; it helps us keep all the characters straight (even though I'm not certain Shakespeare wants us to). 😉