Flibbertigibbety Words: Young Shakespeare Chases Inspiration

by Donna Guthrie, Åsa Gilland (Illustrator)

Overview

With quotes and sly references to the famous works of William Shakespeare and the words he invented, this adventurous ode to language will delight readers young and old.

It all starts one morning when words fly into William’s window. He wants to catch them, but they are flibbertigibbety and quick and slip right through his fingers. Soon whole lines of verse are leading him on a wild goose chase as they tumble, dip, flip and skip all through town, past a host of colorful characters the observant reader may find as familiar as the quotes. William remains persistent, and with time and the proper tools he finds a way to keep the words with him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645670629
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.78(w) x 11.07(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Donna Guthrie is a writer, documentary filmmaker, playwright, and lecturer whose many books for children include I Can’t Believe It’s History!, Putting on a Play, and Mrs. Gigglebelly Is Coming for Tea. She graduated from Vermont College with an MFA in Children’s and Young Adult Writing. When she’s not attending Shakespeare Festivals all over the western US, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Åsa Gilland is a Swedish illustrator living in Jakarta, Indonesia, who produces art for textiles, stationery, home décor and the gift market. She studied interior design at Accademia Italiana Moda and has been designing and illustrating for 20 years. She visited Stratford-upon-Avon as a child and has poured her obsession with Shakespearean history into her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

* “A comic introduction to the plays and words of Shakespeare that’s lighthearted and sure to please…This cheeky, kid-friendly tale is full of creativity and humor and will work for many age groups on many levels—and it answers the age-old question of where authors find ideas (and words).” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“An energetic story, driven by merry phrasing, will introduce the playwright and some of his famous quotes to younger readers and encourage budding wordsmiths.” – School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2020-05-17
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.”

Literally chasing inspiration, young William runs through the streets, gardens, waters, and woods of Elizabethan England, in search of the flibbertigibbety words that flew in through his window one day and then escaped, in this whimsical, metaphorical ode to the language and plays of Shakespeare. Each spread features well-known phrases from a play, as the lad’s future characters—a multiracial group, in a nod to diversity in modern casting—stand on a balcony, ride in a carriage, or stir a boiling pot, as appropriate to their roles. Playful and idiosyncratic illustrations are full of action and energy and evoke the sense of a European fairy tale as they portray the determined boy’s seemingly unsuccessful search. At a loss for words, William finally returns home and reveals his plight to a local peddler he passed earlier—who, in addition to pretty ribbons, also happens to sell paper and pens, which might be just what young William needs to capture his elusive target. This cheeky, kid-friendly tale is full of creativity and humor and will work for many age groups on many levels—and it answers the age-old question of where authors find ideas (and words). Both William and the peddler present white.

A comic introduction to the plays and words of Shakespeare that’s lighthearted and sure to please. (author’s note, quotations with sources, bibliography) (Picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews