With Dove Isabeau Jane Yolen has written a beautiful, powerful and evocative story. Indeed it's based on the Old Ballad Kemp Gwyne, but the author provides her own unique twist to it. And it's perfectly matched by Dennis Nolan's lovely watercolours.

Lovely Isabeau is loathed by her jealous stepmother, who casts a spell on her. Thus Isabeau is turned into a dragon. She is saved by her love Kemp Owain. And now Kemp Owain is turned into stone. Now Isabeau undertakes action, deviating from the usual fairy tale heroine and saves her love. But with her time as dragoness, her fiery spirit has emerged, and Kemp Owain loves her all the more for it and I as their reader too! Further there's a very interesting use of symbolism here, Mr. Nolan's illustrations show this perfectly.

This story and the beautiful pictures will delight youngsters. Older children and teens might like reading, along with it, the Old English poem, "Kemp Owyne" upon which it is based. I love it myself and I'm well above the age of discression!

I found this book in college and was enchanted all the same. A lifelong fan of sci-fi and fantasy, I loved the story as well as the illustrations. I plan on holding onto this book forever - and to share it with my own children and with the children of friends and family.

A great book! I have read it over and over again. It is one of my favorite books. By Colin Slaughter

My kids are in love with dinosaurs. But this book is much more than a dino book. Wilbur, about 7, awakes to hear a noise outside his window. It's a baby Apatosaurus. He names the baby Gideon, after Gideon Mantell, who discovered the first dinosaur fossil. Realizing that he cannot keep the baby dino, they take off together, back to the Jurrasic period; back to Gideon's home. This book is very beautifully illustrated. And the story is both educational and heart-touching. You won't finish with a dry eye. One of my kid's all time favorites. 28 or so pages.

There are a lot of children's picture books about dinosaurs, but among them all "Shadow of the Dinosaurs," by Denis Nolan, is definitely something special. "Shadow" tells the story of Jesse, a young boy, and Shadow, his loyal dachshund. Shadow uncovers a bone. But the bone turns out to have paranormal powers, and soon the little dog is having a hair-raising encounter with a bunch of dinosaurs!

The paranormal element to the story is very well done, and gives the book a "Twilight Zone" meets "Jurassic Park" feel. The colorful illustrations blend realistic detail with memorably imaginative images. "Shadow" is also interesting in that the dog is really the main character of the book; Jesse is a supporting character. And the resourceful Shadow is quite an admirable heroine. Overall, this book is a fine blend of suspense, fantasy, and dinosaur science.

My two-year old daughter found this on our last trek to the bookstore, and fell in love with story of Shadow, a plucky dachshund, who finds a dinosaur bone in the woods, and later wakes to find that the bone has unleashed a return of the dinosaurs. Trees transform into sauropods, and boulders metamorphose into ferocious theropods. Soon the two factions of dinosaurs are at war, an enormous volcano erupts, and Shadow must find the dinosaur bone and bury it to put a stop to the destruction. The pictures are magnificent, and while the story is simple enough for a toddler, it is also rich enough to interest much older children (and adults). People think it is hilarious when my daughter recites the names of the various dinosaurs (brachiosaurus, allosaurus), and I'm thrilled that we may have a natural historian in the family. This is a terrific, entertaining and informative book for anyone who loves dinosaurs (and who in their right mind doesn't?).

The story is about a boy named Teo whose father died in a hunt when he was one.Now he is nine.This story about Teo takes place long ago when the world was young,at the time the first fire was created.Teo is too strong to gather herbs with the woman and to weak to hunt with the men so he has to be a toolmaker.One day he finds a wolf cub which are siad to bring bad luck.Teo is allowed to keep the cub which he names Nyac after the wind which was siad to bring good luck.Will Nyac bring Teo good or bad luck?You'll have to read to find out.I like this book because it has a little action and suspense.

These are the words that start the reader on a journey into the distant past, into the time of cave dwellers, wooly mammoths, and ancient beliefs. The main characters in this wonderful children's story are Teo, a sickly young boy, and an orphaned wolf cub that he rescues and names Ahno-Nyac, which means "Magic Wind". Teo is an apprentice to the tribe's toolmaker. He is unable to become a hunter like the rest of the boys because of a sickness that leaves him weak. Just as life seems too unfair to bear, he stumbles upon the wolf cub, a chance meeting that will change both of their lives. I stumbled across this book while searching for an alternative literature selection for my sixth grade English as a Second Language class (ESL).The sixth grade social studies curriculum begins with the study of cave dwellers. I wanted to find a book that was interesting to read while enriching to the social studies lessons and was on an easier reading level than Maroo of the Winter Caves. The first thing I noticed about Wolf Child was the beautiful illustrations. Dennis Nolan has dedicated full pages to wonderfully detailed watercolors. Although the reading level is still too high for some of my newer ESL students, I knew that we would all enjoy discussing the pictures as they move us through the story. I also think that the themes of love and friendship are easy to relate to regardless of native language or reading ability.Many of my students also relate to the themes of pain and change as they struggle through their pre-teen years. The story of Teo and Nyac may be set 18,000 years ago, but the well-written text and well-balanced plot makes it easier to teach about the reasons for powerful superstitions in a pre-scientific age and the ingenuity and inventiveness of our primitive ancestors. Dennis Nolan also includes the addresses of the Defenders of Wildlife and the Candian Wolf Defenders on the credit page. His summary acknowledges that nature as Teo knew it is long gone, and that if we do not take care of our wildlife and their habitats, we also could lose a way of life many of us enjoy. The reinforced binding and positive student feedback will guarantee that Wolf Child will be on my classroom library shelf for many years.

Dennis Nolan's sepia-tone illustrations & retelling of Apion's story is all about overcoming fear, from both a life as a slave & as supper for a lion. A great favorite of mine since childhood, made me think about slavery, aiding wounded animals & testing my courage. A though-provoking read, fodder for lots of questions. For my full review do check out [my website].

Written from the perspective of a little girl, this story gives an excellent idea of what it was like for the immigrants who came to America during the years, 1892 to 1924. This is the story of six-year old Krysia Petrowski's voyage to America.

Krysia's father was already in America to make a new life for his family. When he had a job and a home, he sent for his wife, daughter and two sons. The decision to leave Poland, their homeland was difficult; leaving behind family and friends was not an easy thing to do. The children could only take necessary items and each child was allowed to bring just one toy. Their clothes, blankets, shoes and toys were knotted up in a sheet to be carried over the shoulder. Krysia had a problem choosing between her two beloved dolls. She took Basha because she was the smaller of the two dolls and would take up less space.

After leaving their village, it took the family four days of walking to arrive at the port where a large steamship was there to take them across the ocean. The difficult sea voyage involved poor sanitation, sickness and lack of decent food. After about fourteen days, the passengers finally view the Statue of Liberty and depart at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve.

On Ellis Island, the immigrants went through many inspections, which included medical examinations for each family member. The paperwork and examination usually took three to five hours to complete. Passing the examinations meant that the immigrants were allowed into the country. Those who did not have the proper papers or failed their medicals, were delayed for days or even months and could be sent back to their original countries.

This well written and carefully illustrated little book is ideal for children who are studying the history of America or the story of their own family.

If you've read lots of books about Robin Hood before, then this book will be especially good for you, although others will like it too. One of the problem with Robin Hood books is that they get repetitive, and one of the great things about this book is that the authors take what they already know about the outlaw, and then uses that to write their own stories about what could have happened. They take the basis for Robin Hood, and the ideals that they believe he represents to make completely original, suspenseful and often funny stories about him. I especially liked Mary Frances Zambreno's and Anna Kirwan stories, just because they were good on their own, without even being part of a book about Robin Hood. but my favorite was Adam Stemple's story, where he takes Robin Hood into the future with hilarious versions of the Sheriff and Guy of Guisborne. The illustrations throughout the book are also great.

This rendition of Daedalus and Icarus cemented this tale as one of my favorites in mythology. Yolen, as always, tells the story for young and old so all may enjoy it. Nolan's illustrations help me understand why Icarus wants to fly so high into the beautiful sky. I recommend this book for anyone wanting a good story, especially if you are fascinated by mythology.

This is the story of a little fairy named Fia, who, unlike all the other fairies, was born without wings. The other fairies tend to avoid her out of embarassment or discomfort, even her sisters. And while her parents are always loving, Fia must find her friends among the little animals. All this changes after she befriends one fairy boy, who later turns out to be the Prince; and after Fia bravely journeys to the Troll's cave to rescue all the other fairies, who have been captured by the Troll so that he might cut off their wings for his collection. Reminiscent of Rudolph the Reindeer, everyone changes their opinion of Fia after her heroism.

I read this story to my 4 1/2 year old daughter, and she really liked it. I imagine that this was primarily due to the wonderful, luminous illustrations. Although there are illustrations on every page, there is also a lot of text to go along with it, perhaps more than the patience of many younger kids can handle. The ideal ages would probably be from age 6 through 10.

I love this book! I'm 27 and I bought this book for my collection. I love faeries, but I especially love it when I find a sweet story with beautiful illustrations of the winged ones. The story reminds me of Cinderella meets Thumbellina. It really has a theme of its own and I didn't feel like I bought into another rendition of Cinderella. The illustrations are just precious. This is a treasure I will enjoy sharing with my children and grandchildren.

Little Fia is the youngest fairy in a family of eight sisters; her sisters have lovely wings, she has none. Fia's seven sisters have compassion for her lack of wings, but they disapprove of her earthly behavior and the animals she has befriended, which are a frog, a rat, and a crow. It's time for the May Dance, and the fairies will be showing off their wings in the reflection of Puffers Pond near Troll's Wood. Fia has reconciled to being left out again. While sharing a new creation with rat, Fia runs into a boy fairy named Kip. He invites her to the dance, and she accepts. Will she be brave enough to follow through? Will the May Dance be safe near Troll's Wood where the wing-collecting Troll lives?

Fairy Wings is a creatively written, artistically illustrated tale. The story is memorable, and little Fia, delicate in appearance, is valiant in thought and deed. She is a great role model. Fairy Wings is enjoyable for all ages, including adults. Getting through this 30-page wonder will take longer than you think; each illustration is wonderfully done, and will demand ample attention before you can turn to the next.

I wonder if "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is Wild Bill's answer to "Romeo and Juliet" and works like it: instead of being passionate, life and death, as-important-as-the universe, here love and romance is light, frivolous, fickle and funny.

Love is in the air; love is everywhere. But at the middle of it all are two women with frustratingly similar names: Helena and Hermia. Hermia loves Lysander but is engaged (by a controlling father) to Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius, who can think of no one but Hermia. Until a fairy god and an impish spirit step in and sprinkle some love-juice around: suddenly it's all a mess, everyone switches partners like at a square dance. But, naturally, it all works out in the end, and two pairs of lovers emerge to live happily ever after.

Two subplots add to the silliness of love: Titania, the fairy queen, under a spell sent by her husband, falls in love with a man with an donkey's head. (read: there is no objectivity in love, no "ideal lover".) Then, a bunch of fools perform a hilaroiusly awful play for the king, a play about tragically separated and suicidal lovers...something like Romeo and Juliet. (read: tragedy and love together are hilariously overdramatic.)

A enjoyable, funny, light, fairly fast play to read and perform. You gotta love Puck. The only real difficulty I had was keeping Helena and Hermia straight -- now, who loves who?

And really, in the end, it doesn't matter who loves who, just that all are loved.

Make sure you don't read one of those nasty prose or abridged versions here. Half the fun is the meter, and it's definitely short and sweet enough not to need abridgement.

a passage from the play:

PUCK: If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, (and all is mended)

That you have but slumbered here,

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend;

If you pardon, we will mend.

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck,

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends, ere long:

Else the Puck a liar call.

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin will restore amends."

Be warned, if you're looking for the original text of Shakespeare's play, this is not it - this is a retelling of the play by Bruce Coville in the attempt to introduce younger readers to the realm of Shakespeare.

In attempting that, he succeeds very well in bringing the text to a new format - all the components of the tale are here (though obviously abridged), and are clearly and smoothly told, keeping most of the spirit of the play, as well as the most important of quotes, for instance - "The course of true love never did run smooth," and "What fools these mortals be".

Three plot threads run throughout the story set in ancient Athens under the rule of the Duke Theseus about to be wed to his own Amazon-bride. Foremost is the love-tangle between the virtually indistinguishable Helena, Lysander, Hermia and Demetrius. When Hermia and Demetrius decide to elope, racing away into the woods, Lynsander follows (who has been promised Hermia by her father), and chasing after him is the spurned Helena, desparately (and pathetically) in love with him.
Meanwhile, the King and Queen of Fairies, Oberon and Titania are having what can only be called a domestic over a young changeling boy that Oberon wants to join his service, but who Titania is determined to keep in remembrance of his mother, her devoted friend. To punish his Queen, Oberon sends his servent, the hobgoblin Puck, to fetch a flower capable of making anyone under its spell fall in love with whatever creature they behold.
Finally, the group of players led by Peter Quince and joined by Francis Flute and the famous Nick Bottom journey into the forest to practice their play to perform on the Duke's wedding day, and fall the victims of Puck's prankish nature, when he transforms the head of Bottom into that of an ass. Of course, it is he that Titania first spies when she awakens from her slumber...

It is a complicated and intricate play, full of mayhem and havoc in which everybody falls in love with everybody else, but Coville handles it well and keeps it simple to the point of abridging much of the final act in which Bottom and the players finally get to perform. However, such a scene is somewhat un-neccessary in the "storybook" context of this retelling, and its removal was probably a good idea. The themes of wayward love and its fickleness is still in place, whether it be the mis-matching of the young lovers, the quarrels between husband and wife, or the ridiculousness of the romantic, suicidal couple that the actors play "Pyramus and Thisby" (on which Shakespeare based "Romeo and Juliet").

The illustrations fit the story well. Though some might hope for intricate, highly detailed work that we usually see in fairy-books these days (such as the work of Brian Froud or K. Y. Craft), here the watercolours are in soft pastels, very clearly and simply planned and rendered. To help the reader along, there is an introductory page of the main character's busts, and the four lovers can be easily identified by their colour-coding (just remember - the blonde girl goes with the blonde boy and the dark-haired girl goes with the dark-haired boy). Bottom is hilarious with or without his ass-head, and you can tell just from his expression that he's a complete buffon.

Most of the fairies are as they are usually portrayed - small, winged, barefooted and delicate, but their impish faces and spindly bodies save them from appearing as those silly, cute, adorable little fairies that you might expect in Enid Blyton. To my mind, fairies must have a little of the mysterious and potential for malevolence about them. The potrayal of Oberon and Titania is somewhat odd - Titania appears as a full grown woman (though in a couple of pictures horribly stick-like, almost anorexic) but Oberon seems almost child-like, as if he's a boy in an over-sized sheet. Like the four lovers, many of the characters are portrayed as incredibly young, a theme that runs through into Puck.

It is Puck who is the centrepiece of this retelling, both in the narrative and in the pictures. With tangled hair and a fuzzy loincloth, the cheeky toddler whizzes about the air, sometimes the very picture of innocence, other times with a devilish grin. He can't help but make you smile when you see him.

Altogether, a good start to introduce young readers to the play, with nice clear pictures just this side of an art and/or fairy-lovers collection.

I'm surprised that none of the reviews I've read (I didn't read them all, but about 25) even mention the pictures in this wonderful edition by Bruce Coville. I've read the play and adore it, seen it several times, etc. But the reason one would buy this book rather than Shakespeare's words is for the clear, modern English storytelling and the gorgeous images. This is a wonderful book to introduce Shakespeare to anyone. I personally love the poetry of Shakespeare's lines but know that they are difficult for children and Shakspeare newbies. This book tells the story in clear words and great pictures, full of classical fairies and beautiful maidens and valorous youths (plus some great facial expressions on Bottom). Worth every penny.