Robin Hood and Little John

by Barbara Cohen, David Ray (Illustrator)

The spirited retelling of the legendary people's hero who meets his match when he does battle with a giant of a man who proves not only to be a worthy opponent, but a courageous comrade-in-arms. Reprint.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Barbara Cohen (1932-1992) was the author of several acclaimed picture books and novels for young readers, including The Carp in the Bathtub, Yussel's Prayer: A Yom Kippur Story, Thank You, Jackie Robinson, and King of the Seventh Grade.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The classic tale of the outlaw Robin Hood, and his first meeting with his eventual best friend and second-in-command, Little John, is retold for younger readers in this engaging picture-book. The well-known incident in which the two men come to blows over who has the right-of-way on a narrow log-bridge, fighting with wooden staffs on the log itself, is joined here to the tale of a subsequent archery contest between the two, neatly setting up a dynamic in which Robin is not infallible, and discovers that he may need help, while Little John learns that he too can be bested, and needs a community and a leader.

The Robin Hood story has always been one of my absolute favorites, when it comes to the world of folklore, so I tend to be rather indulgent when it comes to rating adaptations of it. I'm not universally satisfied, of course (don't even get me going on that travesty of a BBC production that is currently running), but it takes something pretty egregious to rouse my ire. Barbara Cohen's Robin Hood and Little John is not a book that requires indulgence, however, presenting a very solid presentation of the story for its intended audience. David Ray's accompanying illustrations have a kind of folksy, stylized feeling to them that is very attractive. All in all, this is a Robin Hood I would recommend for younger children!

[R. G. Nairam]

What is this cover?

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations. The story was the same old thing I have heard before, but what I did like about the book was the introduction; I had never known before that the story of Robin Hood was based on ballads and long poems. I thought that was cool

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY great re-telling of how Robin Hood meets Little John. Perfect for our medieval history unit! Fun picture book. All my kids really enjoyed it.