Shakespeare: His Work and His World

by Michael Rosen, Robert Ingpen (Illustrator)

The Bard’s enduring genius is both explained and explored for young readers—a perfect companion for both students and teachers of Shakespeare.

Tongue-tied. Dull as dishwater. Without rhyme or reason. Leapfrog. Excellent. Gloomy. These words and phrases, so much a part of our daily language, were coined by William Shakespeare more than four hundred years ago. In what other ways has Shakespeare shaped and influenced our words and culture? Find out with Michael Rosen’s fascinating exploration of the enduring genius of the greatest playwright in the English language, HIS WORK AND HIS WORLD. Learn what theatre was like when Shakespeare created and acted in his plays. With dramatic illustrations by Robert Ingpen, the fluid text is sprinkled with Shakespearean quotations to re-create the Bard’s world of kings and queens, fairies and potions, and bloody beheadings. This sweeping account is a biography, a history, and a retelling of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays—all in one approachable volume.

Genres: History, Shakespeare, Biography, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Middle Grade

104 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2001

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Victoria Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 1980's, when I was attending San Francisco State University as a Psychology major, I was required to take Acting. Besides being the only African-American student in the class I was also the only non-actor, so I knew I had my work cut out for me, especially when it came to doing a scene from one of Shakespeare's plays. He was so intimidating to me I gave him a nickname, "Bobo Shay", and tried to further humanize him by making jokes about his writing and style. After stumbling through "As You Like It", with my scene partner, I swore I'd never read another Shakespeare play or sonnet. Then in the mid-90's I joined a Shakespeare play reading group at "San Genaro's" restaurant in Culver City, California. Unfortunately my insecurity, with the Bard, resurfaced so I was forced to quit after one meeting.
That all changed the moment I picked up "Shakespeare: His Work and His World" a children's book by Michael Rosen. I knew from the flowing text and luxurious illustrations by Robert Ingpen the time had come to face my fears about Shakespeare. What better way than with a book I could share with the students I worked with as a Teacher's Assistant? Concisely written into 80 pages with various sections, such as "Stratford and School", about his childhood and education, and "Theater Life, Shakespeare At Work" with a synopsis for "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Macbeth", "King Lear", The Tempest" and "Romeo and Juliet".
One of the most enlightening moments I had, while reading the book, was that I could now easily understand and recite the quotes pulled from Shakespeare's plays because of my prior acting experience. I also found it easier to relate to him now because Rosen correlated historical events to the plays. For instance, "The Tempest" and the the character Caliban, is directly influenced by John Hawkins, "the first Englishman who traded slaves in 1562". The times during the monarchy of Elizabeth I and James I, inspired his tragic royal plays too from "Richard III" to "Hamlet", by giving him fodder for his furtive imagination, and his education with the horn book and the Bible in Stratford-upon-Avon, showed up repeatedly throughout his creative offerings.
Finally, the "Timeline" Rosen added at the end of the book, chronologically listing the important events of the age, was an additional resource I enjoyed because it gave me a further look into what life was like in the 15th and 16th centuries. Most notably were the ones that Shakespeare witnessed and utilized, causing his themes to continue moving us to this day.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful detailed illustrations with interesting, informative texts. Similar to DK books, but text is more prose than bullet facts around pictures as in DK. Covers different topics every 2 page spread so can be used just for excerpts/browsing. Text can be challenging.
Used as background info/discussion starters with my 8th grader after he saw/read Hamlet.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is written for kids, I learned alot! I especially like the connection the author made between the uncertainty of the times and how that is reflected in Shakespeare's plays. Beautiful illustrations and many quotes from Shakespeare's works inspire you to pick up the actual plays! I would definitely read this to kids before beginning to study Shakespeare

[Beth Throlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this book, front to back, top to bottom, inside to outside, backward and forward and even sideways. But then again, I love any book set in this time period. I wish I owned this book.

[FilologaLectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro, lleno de ilustraciones, sobre el contexto histórico, social y económico en el que vivía Shakespeare, así como contiene análisis de las obras más conocidas del mismo ✨
Me ha encantado leerlo y recordar lo que ya estudié de él. De hecho, me parece una buenísima lectura para aquellos que tengan que estudiarlo para el colegio/instituto, ya que está muy completo pero, a su vez, tiene un lenguaje muy asequible para jóvenes no acostumbrados a las lecturas -y, mucho menos, a las biografías-. 🖤 A España lo ha traído la editorial Vicens Vives.
Tenéis un vídeo en mi canal de YouTube (CristinaRWR) en el que os enseño este mismo libro, y toda mi colección de libros de Shakespeare 🥰.

[Sandy Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming book explores Shakespeare's world with delicious illustrations from Robert Ingpen. The writing is clear, and would be easily digestible by children. The book aims to provide some understanding and to provoke curiosity about the Bard. A worthy book and an enjoyable read for all ages.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helped make the Bard more accessible and real to my 13 year old and I. It tied in many of his works and some of the over-arching themes that he used. Here and there were historical elements that also helped to put Shakespeare into context for us.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative approach to learn about Shakespeare: background, play summary, history all intertwine accompanied by full spread illustrations. An approachable introduction about Shakespeare for middle readers.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good overview of Shakespeare, the times he lived and his works.

[Clara Biesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent text, but don't be fooled, this is for at least middle school or possibly early high school students. Lots of good information in a very accessible format.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were great. The timeline at the back was my favorite part because it placed Shakespeare's life in the context of English history.

[Lynn Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine review of Shakespeare and his life with comparisons for the reader on the go and perhaps a younger student wanting to figure out, quickly, how his life went. As an adult I found it refreshing. The quotes at the last are fun. The described timeline towards the end of the book contains historical references. I enjoyed the read a lot. A little over an hour. I wanted it to be longer with other people added in who might have been found that knew more concerning the fate of his family members.

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Shakesspear: His Work & His World" is such a wonderful way to introduce young adults to William Shakespeare. Michael Rosen's narrative writng coupled with Robert Ingpen's timeless illustrations beautifully blend together forming a mighty tapestry giving young people a much deeper understanding and, yes, a deepr appreciation of the literary giant known as William Shakespeare. By reading this book, young adults will come to understand the times in which Shakespeare lived and how it influenced his works, and how his works continue to influence us today, 396 years after his death. Readers will see that many of today's words and expressions were created by Shakespeare such as, "hint,", "leapfrog", "lonely," "excellent," "tongue tied," "without rhyme or reason," "one fell swoop" "melted into thin air," "the game is up," that's the long and short of it," and "the truth will out." After reading Rosen's book, readers will want to embrace Shakespeare and want to come to know him better instead of running away from him, because they have been falsely led into believing that Shakespearian language is a barrier that bars readers from understanding Shakespeare's message.

Thank you Mr. Rosen and Mr. Ingpen for helping bridge a 396 year gap between Mr. Shakespeare and today's young adults. Also, thank you Franklin Public Liibrary for lending me a copy of this fantastic book.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an illustrated biography of William Shakespeare for a young audience.

The artwork, by Robert Ingpen, is striking and wonderful. Each illustration, especially the two page spreads place emphasis on not only the works of the famous playwright, but on the dark and tumultous times in which he lived.

Michael Rosen paints a picture of a maddening sixteenth century world, filled with fear and wonder, yet he clearly highlights the amazing accomplishments of said time period.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the quotes built into the text. Mr. Rosen strategically places each quote into the body of the book in a way that enables the reader to understand its context within the play.

While there is little known about Shakespeare's life, the author pieces together a clear timeline of the events that may have inspired him to write. He also leaves the reader with a sense of curiosity and a desire to discover more about both the man and his collection of works.

Overall, this is an excellent introduction to Shakepeare for any reader, middle schooler through adult.

[Claire CUI · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book overlaps quite a bit in content with Michael Rosen's Pocket Shakespeare: A Beginner's Guide to the Best Bits of the Bard. For children, I would recommend picture books instead, as the combination of images and text makes understanding much easier. Michael Rosen has a strong grasp of Shakespeare’s works and the era he lived in. Through illustrations and well-chosen original quotes, he weaves together the historical context of Shakespeare’s time. The excerpts he selects are very representative and strike a strong chords with teen parents.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This authentic biography doubles as a history book. Rosen precedes documentation of Shakespeare’s life and works with a description of the social, political, and religious world of England in the mid 1500’s. Throughout, the beautiful illustrations by Hans Christian Andersen medal winner Robert Ingpen complete the narrative. The straightforward text with definitions of unusual words helps young readers gain a beginning appreciation of the art of the world’s most famous playwright. Students wishing additional information will find more that twenty resources cited in the text.

Use with lessons about Shakespeare, classic literature, playwrights, English history.

Biography
Ages 10 – 14

[Kim Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction book explains the life, historical context, and many works of William Shakespeare. The text is straightforward and would be accessible for middle to upper-grade readers (grades 4 and up). The book includes beautiful illustrations, and some of the text is "illuminated" as in an early manuscript from the time of Shakespeare. The book would work very well as part of a unit about Shakespeare for the elementary grades.

[Zach]

A fun exploration of how Shakespeare's time period affected his writing -- clearly written from a historicist's point of view. Nothing wrong with that, but it's important to keep in mind that this cause and effect suggestion is only part of the picture. An engaging and informative book. I loved the illustrations -- often fun little conglomerations of several scenes from different plays.

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are just lovely in this book. I think this is a great introduction to Shakespeare and his plays. It talks briefly of some of his plays-just enough to know what goes on-and also about the time Shakespeare grew up in and wrote his plays in. The kings, queens, customs, etc...It's perfect for a child or an adult who doesn't know much about him.

[nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

required materials for ya read. a nice start to a guided inquiry lesson, but i feel it might be too young for bulk of ya readers (although allow for it to be considered such considering those kids might not like shakespeare as much as i did at that age).

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great biography for middle school students. It has an extensive bibliography and it's well laid out for students. This book would be a great introduction to Shakespeare before reading his works.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an elementary introduction to Shakespeare through a highly pictorial book. A good quick read.
Great for teen-agers..

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this overview of Shakespeare. The author does a great job of synthesizing why Shakespeare still matters today and what is so special about his plays. The pictures are beautiful, too!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated book helps the "Shakespeare illiterate" grasp a better understanding of his plays and his life. Picked this up at the Shakespeare Bookstore in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

[CD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine basic, children's level intro to The Bard.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to Shakespeare, including several plays. Bad design and typography.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this aloud to the kids, and we all enjoyed it. This is a great book for understanding the world Shakespeare came from and highlights excerpts from his plays throughout.

[Mercedes Mccoy]

I read it for a school assignment.

[Hugh Laybourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cl ear, enjoyable and informative