Shakespeare's Storybook: Folk Tales That Inspired the Bard - Hardcover

Ryan, Patrick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1841483079 ISBN 13: 9781841483078

Publisher: Barefoot Books Ltd, 2004

Synopsis

Did you know that Shakespeare took inspiration for many of his plays from folk tales, ballads, and fairy tales? In this stunning collection, professional storyteller Patrick Ryan has brought together the traditional stories that are at the heart of seven of Shakespeare's masterpieces, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and King Lear. Whether you are acquainted with Shakespeare's plays, or you are a young reader eager to enjoy his work, these lively, action-packed adventures will thoroughly engross you. James Mayhew's rich, detailed illustrations contribute to the color and the drama of the tales, in which chance, fortune and a touch of magic intertwine to mold lives and shape destinies.

About this title

Review:

'Many of Shakespeare's plays were based on folk and fairy tales. Patrick Ryan, a professional storyteller, explores seven of Shakespeare's plays... These tales are beautifully told and the folk tales have been painstakingly researched.' --Education Otherwise

'This is a book to read from cover to cover, to dip into, and return to time and again.' --Children's Books in Ireland

'Patrick Ryan, a professional storyteller and teacher, retells folk-tales which may have inspired the playwright. He precedes each folk-tale with an explanatory introduction, putting them into historical and geographical context in a relaxed, accessible narrative. The perspective is an interesting one, for those coming new to the plays, and those familiar with them. James Mayhew's busy, intense illustrations transform the anthology into a lovely gift.' --The Scotsman

About the Author:

Patrick Ryan has worked as a teacher and professional storyteller for over twenty years. Now based in London, he regularly tours Britain, Europe and the US performing, lecturing and conducting a variety of workshops. Patrick has written for the BBC and has also actively participated in several major storytelling projects, among them 'Living Stories of the World', a multi-cultural workshop for primary children in inner and outer London. James Mayhew graduated from Maidstone College of Art with a first class honours degree in illustration. He has created many acclaimed picture books for children, and in 1994 received the New York Times award for one of the year's ten best-illustrated books with The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams. This is James' second title for Barefoot Books, joining The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera.

About this edition

• Publisher: Barefoot Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1841483079
• ISBN 13: 9781841483078
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Mayhew James