William Shakespeare and the Globe

A great book about Shakespeare's life and work. All that he did for playwrights during his lifetime and even after his death. I enjoyed this book, because it actually did introduce some facts that not all books talk about with Shakespeare. I would like to use this book in my classroom.

William Shakespeare & the Globe by Aliki traces the life and times of William Shakespeare up until his death. But, the book doesn't stop there. It also delves into the impact his great contributions had on our world today.

Written and illustrated by Aliki, William Shakespeare and the Globe is

Show More

presented in interesting ways. There is a bit of flare tossed in with the usual biographical flourish of facts, yet the language remains easily accessible. The panels of illustration provide almost a comic book-like feel at times. The drawings do, however, leave a bit to be desired. After reading the wonderful Coville and Nolan adaptations of Shakespeare's works, this rather bland coloration of the writer himself was a bit of a letdown. Perhaps that is a metaphor for the life of a writer.

Used as a teaching tool, Aliki's William Shakespeare and the Globe could be rated as excellent for young readers. As pure entertainment? Not so much.

Show Less

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the author chose to place various quotes from Shakespeare throughout the book to show its flexibility and relevance. The last part of the book where the author gives a list of various words and sayings that Shakespeare created was pretty interesting. I didn't

Show More

realize how much of an impact Shakespeare had on everyday speech. And I'm sure that my students would enjoy seeing how they use his sayings today. Students often look at Shakespeare as antiquated and irrelevant, so the list would be a nice bridge between Shakespeare and today.

The book also brought about some things that I never knew and never thought I knew. For instance, everyone knows the song about London bridge falling down, but it never registered with me that the bridge actually fell down. It may be my ignorance or lack of basic thinking, but it was interesting to learn that the bridge actually fell. Also, learning that the Globe theatre burning down and being resurrected was pretty cool. You have to enjoy when someone completes something with pure passion.

Show Less

I loved this Shakespeare resource and found it to be overflowing with information. There is at least one quote from one of Shakespeare's plays on each page, and the illustrations (which appear to be done in crayon and colored pencils) are so vibrant and intriguing. There is a "dictionary" listing

Show More

the words and phrases Shakespeare is credited with creating as well as a complete list of his works including a cartoon-like illustration to preview the content. The author shares the story of the Bard's life and focuses on the various theatres in England (awesome information about theatre placement, etc.) This book also includes the story of the architect who rediscovered the original location of the Globe and was responsible for rebuilding the historic landmark. Very fascinating! Makes me want to visit London and see one of my favorite plays at the Globe (even more than I did before).

Show Less

Aliki's writings and illustrations in this book give an impression of the mystery surrounding the life and identity of William Shakespeare. She tries to reconstruct the historical atmosphere of the late Elizabethan period through illustrations and maps. Aliki follows his relationship to the Globe

Show More

and the Lord Chamberlain's men, mentioning his rivalry with Marlowe

Aliki also mentions other significant influences on Shakespeare during his lifetime, like Richard Burbage and the Earl of Southampton. She does a good job showing the various reincarnations of the Globe, including the most modern attempt by Sam Wanamaker. A Shakespeare quote is given at the bottom of every page, making this an even more enjoyable read.

Show Less

Aliki does a great job writing and illustrating her book William Shakespeare & the Globe. The pictures are vivid, colorful, and look to have been made using various media types (e.g. paint, crayons, colored pencils, etc.). The table of contents is arranged in play format, starting Act One: Scene

Show More

One with the life of Shakespeare, but the focus of the book seems less on the playwright himself and more on the history of the Globe Theater. Also, there isn't a bibliography or reference page to show where the author got her information. While the book provides a lovely illustrated history of theater in 16th century England, I feel like some pages have so much going on (e.g. p. 22-23) that it detracts from the story itself, which in turn makes the story line weaker. Also, I like the little quotes from Shakespeare throughout the book, especially how the quotes relate to the text on the same page. I wish the book had just been written about the Globe Theater because, then, maybe the author could have narrowed her focus to one topic instead of bouncing around like an old horse-and-buggy carriage. Overall, though, I feel like this is a great book for introducing students to Shakespeare and plays.

Show Less

This book would be good to use when studying drama, the book is set up like a play with acts and scenes. It is also good to use when talking about Elizabethan England or Shakespeare because it shows his life at the time.