The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood / Howard Pyle - 3***

[Book Concierge]

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood – Howard Pyle
Adapted by Deborah Kestel
3***

A friend mentioned that her book club was focusing on classics this year and this was their monthly read. When I said that I had never read the full story (though, of course, I was familiar with the legend), she offered to pass the book along to me when she was finished.

Well, what she had was the “Great Illustrated Classics” edition, adapted by Deborah Kestel for a younger audience, and illustrated by Pablo Marcos Studio.

It’s a fast, fun adventure with lots of fighting, competition, disguises, and more than a few near misses. Most of the characters are here, including Friar Tuck, Little John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. But Maid Marion is mentioned only once.

I imagine the middle-school audience would enjoy this legend of adventure and derring-do. I wanted more depth to the story, though I doubt I’ll try to go back and read the original.


LINK to my review

[Booknblues]

I read an illustrated version as a kid and have no idea which it was, but I loved it.

I've always been a Robin Hood fan!

[Robin P]

We had something called Big Golden Books, or maybe Giant Golden Books - paperbacks about 8x11, of classics. That is when I first read Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Around the World in 80 days, and The Three Musketeers. There were colored pictures on every page. They were abridged and adapted for kids, for instance, the bawdy romantic adventures of d'Artagnan were left out.