Shakespeare's Storybook: Folk Tales That Inspired the Bard

by P.E. Ryan, James Mayhew (Illustrator)

Accompanied by lavish illustrations, an elegant collection of classic stories that inspired seven of Shakepeare's literary masterpieces is filled with adventure, love, destiny, and magic.

Genres: Folklore, Shakespeare, Classics, Childrens, Picture Books, History

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

P.E. Ryan also writes as Patrick Ryan an Pat Ryan.

Patrick Ryan was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Florida. His work has appeared in the Yale Review, the Iowa Review, One Story, and other journals. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

How sweet and interesting! Very simple, but quite fun to read, and if you are a fan of Shakespeare and want something that will be easy to read, I recommend! It was so cool to see where all the roots of his stories came from. And the illustrations are a really pretty touch.

[R. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barefoot Books rarely disappoint me and they certainly have not here.

I love it when the introduction is written to the intended reader, to the child herself, rather than to the parent that is presumably responsible for causing the child to open the book. That is how this book opens, as it should be. Most excitingly, each short story has it's own introduction, also written to the child.

I was afraid the tales would be too abstractly related to the Shakespearean ones, but no, the connections are obvious and exciting.

The color illustrations are delightful but not overwhelming; the folk tales are retold as charmingly.

Read this with your kids as soon as you introduce Shakespeare. The reading level is about alongside that of Bruce Coville's picture book Shakespeare. Good listeners would enjoy it as early as age four or five, or around the same time they're patient and literate enough for Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh.

[anna marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread this book i adored as a kid :) its nice

[Dominika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so glad to find that someone had done up a storybook of the tales that inspired Shakespeare's plays and gladder still to find it illustrated by James Mayhew whose style is so warm and charming. And there's a great bibliography in the back.

The kids enjoyed reading it together even if they didn't really get the Shakespeare connection. In some ways I think that's even better. Perhaps later on when they're encountering Shakespeare for the first time, they'll have great fun stumbling upon the elements in his plays they are already familiar with.

[himawarisabina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arçın mal alan

[Ammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really, really loved these stories. Our 3 yr old did too. Just not the usage of "stupid" about once in each story.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read, perfect for a light diversion between heavier reads. I read the tales one at a time rather than racing through it.

We often view Shakespeare as a genius, and find his version of a story the definitive one. However, people don't realize that his genius was in the dramatization, rather than the invention. He pulled elements from history and legend to make his plays, and the author goes behind the play to tell versions that are closer to the original sources.

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book and a brilliant concept, this was a satisfying read that was both entertaining and enlightening. It's a wonderful resource for Shakespeare studies and as folktales to enjoy with your children.

Note: some immodesty in the illustrations. Occasional name-calling such as 'idiot' and 'stupid.'

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gathering of folk tales and stories that the author considers inspiration for several of Shakespeare’s more well-known plays. For those who enjoy old-style fairy tales and for those learning more about Shakespeare and his creative process.

[cae · Rating 5 out of 5]

the duke’s daughter is the ultimate girlboss

[John Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and fun

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating collection of stories that shows the inspiration for some of Shakespeare's classic tales. The background information is a bit lengthy and our girls lost interest quickly, so I read most of the introductions silently. I gave our girls a brief summary of the introduction of each story, so they could get the gist of the story's historical roots and general plotline.

The illustrations are very colorful and lend an old fashioned feel to the stories. We liked the different tales and I loved learning about the bard's inspiration for his famous versions of the stories. We really enjoyed reading this book of stories together.

[Dale Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been working on a theatre project with Sweetline Theatre Company, teaching actors storytelling techniques, and getting them thinking about the folktales and mythology behind some of Shakespeare's work. This was a fabulous resource, and I recommend it to anyone interested in both Shakespeare and fairytales! Great notes on source material and references, to help you find more information.

[Jennica Crockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that Shakespeare's plays are simplified in this version. It isn't quite child appropriate but I think it would be better for older students in a Shakespeare unit. This would be a great Segway into the real plays. This would help the students get an idea what the actual story is before they read the harder versions. The pictures are great as well.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good book to accompany any Shakespeare course, so that students could look at the folk tale that might have inspired the Bard.

[Donna-Lee]

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[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. All the stories are so interesting! This is where Shakespeare got all his ideas.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to all these stories a few times during our Shakespeare year. It's just one more way to share Shakespeare with children.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this with my kids just before visiting Stratford upon Avon. I thought it was fun to hear the stories. My kids loved it too.

[Rebecca Stonehill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and three quarter stars - almost five!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three stories on this audio were little folktales, and relating to other tales I heard growing up.

[Lexie Orme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tons of original stories and then Shakespeare stories that were inspired by them. background information and everything.