This small book, Some Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, is made up of stories selected by Howard Pyle from the larger book. It has been very popular as an introduction to a fine adventure story...Boys and girls who enjoy this brief excursion into Sherwood Forest will want to read more about Robin and his band—for here is adventure, pageantry—and laughter.
Howard Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people.
During 1894 he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University), and after 1900 he founded his own school of art and illustration named the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. The term Brandywine School was later applied to the illustration artists and Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region by Pitz. Some of his more famous students were N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Elenore Abbott, Ethel Franklin Betts, Anna Whelan Betts, Harvey Dunn, Clyde O. DeLand, Philip R. Goodwin, Violet Oakley, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Olive Rush, Allen Tupper True, and Jessie Willcox Smith.
His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print, and his other books, frequently with medieval European settings, include a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is also well known for his illustrations of pirates, and is credited with creating the now stereotypical modern image of pirate dress. He published an original novel, Otto of the Silver Hand, in 1888. He also illustrated historical and adventure stories for periodicals such as Harper's Weekly and St. Nicholas Magazine. His novel Men of Iron was made into a movie in 1954, The Black Shield of Falworth.
Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy to study mural painting during 1910, and died there in 1911 from a kidney infection (Bright's Disease).
His sister Katharine Pyle was also a writer and illustrator. Their mother was the children's author and translator M.C. Pyle.
This is quite an entertaining account of Robin Hood's adventures. I mainly got it for Howard Pyle's illustrations; if you want to read the Robin Hood stories, I strongly recommend Child's ballads.
My son and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book together! The sport of the men, the old language, the black and white view of honor, the gorgeous engravings- all combined to offer exciting tales of old England to a little boy enthralled by all things brave and noble and true.
Age: 6+ Content Considerations: violence treated rather lightly, deceit, theft, and multiple murders.
Wonderful illustrations, aside from the out of date language it would be the perfect children's book for a mid to late elementary reader. As it is, I think it would make a great collection of stories for reading with a child before bed.
Very fun read aloud! This version is missing some of the chapters from "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood", but it had the original language. When the doorbell rang as we were reading this, Josh announced, "It seems like thou shalt get the door, quoth merry Joshua."