William Shakespeare's the Tempest

Starred review from March 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 4-Lovely and engaging, this accessible retelling of a theatrical staple will usher in a new generation of Shakespearean devotees. Ariel, a spirit of the air, takes center stage, instantly drawing in young readers with his magical abilities. In lyrical first-person narrative, Ariel recounts the story of Prospero. Ray's vibrantly hued paintings balance lush botanical details with airy motion and a mood of mysterious enchantment. The visuals add greatly to the plot and characterizations; the graceful Miranda looks equally at home swinging from a tree branch or reading a book, and Caliban, punished here by Prospero for making them feel unwelcome, skulks moodily inside a cave. Italicized quotes from the play are sprinkled throughout, providing a taste of the original language. The story is framed at beginning and end with proscenium-style images, but the rest of the pages are adorned with Ray's stunning full-bleed artwork, fully immersing readers in this timeless tale. VERDICT An engaging work with beautiful illustrations.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2019
Mirth, magic, and mischief abound in this picture-book retelling of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. Ariel, the beloved sprite whose conjurings precipitate the eponymous tempest, gets top billing in this adaptation and recounts the narrative in the first person. Through Ariel's eyes, readers are introduced to the powerful Prospero, his lovely daughter, Miranda, and the shipwrecked nobles who are brought to the island to right an ancient wrong. Ellinas' picture book largely divests the tale of its colonialist underpinnings and breathes three-dimensional complexity into the major and minor characters. Caliban, for instance, is monstrous due to his callous treatment of Ariel rather than because he is racially coded as savage. Another delightful change is the depiction of Miranda, who emerges as an athletic, spirited, and beautiful nature-child whose charms are understandably irresistible to Prince Ferdinand. The text is perfectly matched by Ray's jaw-droppingly beautiful illustrations, which will enchant readers from the front cover to the final curtain. The greens of the waters and the blues of the island's night sky are so lush and inviting that readers will wish they could enter the book. Peppered throughout the story are italicized fragments of Shakespeare's dialogue, giving both young and older readers something to enjoy. Large, granite-colored Caliban is plainly nonhuman; the human characters present white; Ariel is a translucent, paper white. A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids' dreams are--and will be--made on. (Picture book. 4-8)

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