Much Ado About Nothing for Kids

Shakespeare Can Be Fun!

by Lois Burdett, Denzel Washington (Foreword)

"What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?" These famous lines from Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing delightfully show the verbal sparring between the reluctant lovers, Beatrice and Benedick who are happily brought together at the end by the schemes of their friends. And, no story is complete without at least one evil character, Don John, who unsuccessfully tries to tear apart the wedding plans of Hero and Claudio, the other lovers in this sparkling tale. Written in rhyming couplets, Much Ado About Nothing , the eighth book in this successful series, captures all the exciting elements of the original story, and is truly a delightful read for both adult and child. Lois Burdett has been a teacher at Hamlet Public School in Stratford, Ontario, for over twenty years and her expertise in bringing Shakespeare to life for children as young as seven is reflected in the children's clever insights and wonderful drawings which complement the play. Her success has resulted in an ever-increasing demand for workshops as far afield as Europe and Australia where she instructs educators on how they too can familiarize young children with Shakespeare. From the Foreword by Denzel Washington "[Lois Burdett's] delightfully entertaining text is complemented by her students' thoughtful interpretations and charming artwork which make Much Ado About Nothing come alive in a whole new way."

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Picture Books, Childrens, Shakespeare

64 pages, Paperback

Published March 2, 2002

About the author

Lois Burdett is an acclaimed elementary school teacher from Stratford, Ontario, internationally recognized for her innovative approach to teaching Shakespeare to young children. Through her Shakespeare Can Be Fun series and dynamic classroom methods, she has introduced serious literature to students as young as Grades 2 and 3. Her work has earned her numerous honors, including Canada's Meritorious Service Medal and awards from Encyclopedia Britannica and the Canadian Teachers' Federation. Her books and workshops continue to inspire educators worldwide.

Reviews

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduced my kids to Shakespeare in an approachable, fun way! We really enjoyed reading this aloud as part of our Morning Time and they were also inspired by the artwork and are now creating their own illustrations! We are excited to explore more of this series!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! This book was revised with the help of primary grade students. Their illustrations and interpretations in letter-form are fantastic!I will admit, with so many characters in the story, I had to get a little help getting the plot down so some of this is also based off other reviews I read.

Plot: Two couples fall love, but misunderstandings lead to disastrous events. Upon returning from war, Claudio proposes to Governor Leonato's daughter, Hero. Through trickery, they get Beatrice and Benedick to realize their love for each other. But as for Hero and Claudio, evil Don John uses his friend Boraccio to seduce Margret, Hero's maid, to pose as Hero and mislead Claudio into thinking she's unfaithful. Claudio humiliates Hero on their wedding day and she faints. Hero's family fakes her death to teach Claudio a lesson. In response, Benedick and Beatrice profess their love for each other. Boracchio is found out and arrested.

Leonato tests Claudio's remorse by offering his "niece" in marriage to Claudio as an act of atonement. Grieving Claudio agrees to the arrangement, but is shocked and overwhelmed when his veiled bride turns out to be Hero. In reaction to the joy, Benedick proposes to Beatrice and a double wedding and dance takes place.

Shakespeare really knows how to create "ado"!

I think with the proper coaching, students would really enjoy this story.

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Shakespeare play next to A Midsummer Night's Dream & I absolutely love this book. Lois Burdett did such a wonderful job with her rhyming version of the tale & the kids' illustrations were, as always, fabulous. But the accompanying story letters the students wrote are priceless. There is a foreward by Denzel Washington, who played Don Pedro in the Kenneth Branagh movie production of the play (also a favorite) & he is so complimentary--as well everyone should be. These books are delightful & a treasure. I would love to see one of Lois Burdett's productions with her class--it must be amazing! If only every elementary school had such a teacher to spread the love of Shakespeare & theater.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burdett wrote a sonnet for each step of the story, using some of the original wording and some of her own. Her 7 to 9-year-old students drew pictures and wrote short letters between the characters. This was really fun! The author simplified most of Shakespeare’s language, but there’s still some vocabulary that I think would require explanation before or during the reading. A good way to start Shakespeare at a young age!

[Clara Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Such a great read for all ages. This made shakespeare easy to understand, and sometimes that can be difficult. Truly put the meaning, and simplicity back into a great piece. Hope you all enjoy it (:

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun introduction to a fun Shakespeare comedy. Aimed at kids but adults might get a kick out if it.

[CharCharPinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this. Actually a great funny retelling, perfect for kids. Can't wait to get more from this author.

[Keesha 11-12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. I really enjoyed the beautiful and colorful illustrations. This is a great way to introduce Shakespeare to children my age. This book is also a great way to show that Shakespeare can be fun. I loved the rhyming couplets. This is a great drama book.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

a simplified version of Much ado about nothing for kids.
Good book!

[adaku Okeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was awesome and funny

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved these books by Lois Burdett when she was younger. What a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare!

[Carolina Zavala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very creative and helped me understand everything going on. I liked the translations and pictures!

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed that students in Elementary school rewrote this play! The illustrations were adorable and the language used is hilarious. I wonder how the teacher went about reading the play in the first place because even now I struggle with understanding the characters and plot of Shakespeare. Even if your older and need to read Much Ado about Nothing, I would recommend reading this first to get a broad understanding for the story.

[Tabitha Langman]

So far I have really enjoyed this shakespeare spin off book. As an adult who struggles with shakespeare, this is definitely something I would introduce to my students. The illustrations are perfect for the book as well, something I enjoyed.

[Shannon Scales · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book! It made shakespeare easier to read and I loved all the pictures drawn by little kids.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to understand this Shakespeare play because of this book. Throughout the whole book it rhymed and was written in such a way that made sense (When Shakespeare is hard to make sense of most of the time). I also really loved how Burdett's students drew the pictures in the book. They were so fun and creative. I am definitely going to keep this book for my future students to read to as well as read it to my little nephews and niece because I think they would really enjoy it as well as be able to understand it!

[Khaleah Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really love how the author included summarizations of each page written in a student's perspective.