Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor. Pop-up Shakespeare.

Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor.  Pop-up Shakespeare.    Candlewick Press  2017  unp  $19.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9874-4    all ages  Drama 

E-BN

    

This pop-up compendium of the complete works of William Shakespeare is sure to entice a new generation.  William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and innumerable other works.  His words live on in the English language and are part of our daily lexicon.  How can all of this be condensed into one pop-up book?  The Reduced Shakespeare Company has managed it in spades (not Shakespeare.) Dividing the plays and sonnets into sections, the authors, armed with the amazing artwork of Jennie Maizels, offer a huge amount of information about the man and his works. While there are accurate summaries of the works, the wry tone is delightful and the text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes.  The historical background and political climate of the time are accurate and offer some insight into the development of the plays. Altogether, this is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.

Summary: A new generation will be enticed into these fabulous writings. This is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.    

Shakespeare, William                               --Susan Ogintz