The Tempest is an exciting tale of jealousy and betrayal, magic and romance, repentance and forgiveness, and has all the elements necessary to ignite a young child's imagination and creative energy. By her use of rhyming couplets, Lois Burdett has once again succeeded in transforming Shakespeare's complex verse into a format readily understood by children. Children's enthusiasm toward Burdett's adapted Shakespeare is evident in the wonderful drawings and anecdotes created by her Grade 2 and 3 students at Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford, Ontario. Together with the five other books in the successful and beautifully produced Shakespeare Can Be Fun! series, The Tempest will delight teachers, parents and children. Grade 2-4-Sticking closely to the series format, Burdett retells the story of The Tempest in rhyming couplets. Her students' drawings filled in with clear bright marker colors, along with the children's boxed comments, provide the book's primary appeal. The main text is distinctly plodding-especially when compared with the original. While it's true that the simple couplets might be easy for an adult to understand at first glance, they are not exactly a breeze for early readers, the audience for this book. It would require almost as much effort to use this text for a performance (as suggested) as it would to perform scenes from the original work or to have children create their own improvisations on the story. Burdett's techniques for exciting children about Shakespeare certainly seem to work well with her own classes. It seems sad that other youngsters might be handed a finished product rather than the fun of creating their own interpretations. The final page contains suggestions for parents and teachers. Sally Margolis, Barton Public Library, VT Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. The couplets present Shakespeare in shortened form ... in a highly accessible way. -- Susan Perren ― Globe and Mail Published On: 1999-06-12 Many original phrases joyfully intact, in rhyming couplets that retain the exuberant language play of the original. ― Vancouver Sun Published On: 2000-03-04 Highly recommended. Contains quotes as well as classroom activities. -- Cathlyn Thomas ― Library Media Connection Published On: 2015-05-01 Shakespeare Can Be Fun! Most students will be exposed to the works of Shakespeare, typically in high school. The language and content of the plays is seen as too difficult for younger children but primary children are underestimated as to what they can accomplish given the challenge. The study of Shakespeare has become an integral part of my grade two program at Hamlet School, in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. When I first moved to Stratford, I had no intention of teaching Shakespeare to 7 and 8 year olds. Stratford is a beautiful city noted for its Shakespearean theatre and I was interested that the schools were all named after Shakespearean characters. I asked my class, "Who is William Shakespeare?" and "Why is our school called Hamlet?" Their answers were surprising. One thought he was a famous boxer. Another believed he was the President of Canada. A third student responded, "I don't know who William Shakespeare is. I don't know any of the big kids." It was the children's enthusiasm and excitement on making the connection between an historical figure and the name of their school, which led me to continue. Thirty years later I can't imagine teaching anywhere in the world and not introducing Shakespeare. The study provided tremendous growth, particularly in the area of language and communication and evolved into a learning experience of a lifetime. I have endeavored in my books and workshops for teachers to share the excitement of exploring with children, the timeless emotions and ideas of Shakespeare. The comments of two of my children, written at various times in their daily journals show the lasting impression Shakespeare has had on them. "Shakespeare is like a big piece of chocolate cake. Once you've started you wish you could go on and on forever, in a non-stopping dream." (Anika, age 7) "William's incredible words are like a velvet silk coat that rap around his pure thoughts. His pen writes on like all colors of the wind." (Sean, age 7) Lois Burdett is in great demand throughout North America and Europe for her workshops where she instructs educators how to familiarize young children with Shakespeare. Among other commendations, Lois Burdett has received Encyclopedia Britannica's National Award for Early Childhood Education , Canada's Meritorious Service Medal , the Canadian Teachers' Federation's Hilroy Fellowship , and two writers' awards. Burdett's many speaking engagements have included the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. Her books, magazine articles, presentations and media interviews are testimony to her strong influence in the education community, where she has also been instrumental