Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England

by Diane Stanley, Diane Stanley (Illustrator), Peter Vennema

Overview

In this welcome reissue, celebrated author and illustrator Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema, paint an impressive portrait of the remarkable queen who loved her people so dearly and ruled them so well. Elizabeth's forceful personality, colorful court, and devoted subjects come vividly to life in this stellar picture-book biography.

When it was first published, Good Queen Bess was named a Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Library Association Notable Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, and an IRA Teachers' Choice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780688179618
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/07/2001
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.34(d)
Lexile:	AD1060L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Diane Stanely is the author and illustrator of beloved books for young readers, including The Silver Bowl, named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice; The Cup and the Crown; The Princess of Cortova; Saving Sky, winner of the Arab American Book Award; Bella at Midnight, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice; The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy; The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine; The Chosen Prince; and Joplin, Wishing.

Ms. Stanley has written and illustrated numerous picture books, including three creatively reimagined fairy tales, The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three Bears, and Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter, and an award-winning series of picture book biographies. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can visit her online at www.dianestanley.com.

Diane Stanely is the author and illustrator of beloved books for young readers, including The Silver Bowl, named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice; The Cup and the Crown; The Princess of Cortova; Saving Sky, winner of the Arab American Book Award; Bella at Midnight, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice; The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy; The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine; The Chosen Prince; and Joplin, Wishing.

Ms. Stanley has written and illustrated numerous picture books, including three creatively reimagined fairy tales, The Giant and the Beanstalk, Goldie and the Three Bears, and Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter, and an award-winning series of picture book biographies. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can visit her online at www.dianestanley.com.

Editorial Reviews

Once again available from the husband-and-wife team behind Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare, here is another biography from the Elizabethan Age: Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England (1990) by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema, illus. by Stanley. Describing the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the authors lay the groundwork for Queen Elizabeth's greatest challenges: stopping the bloodshed and uniting her country under one faith, and keeping the peace with the rest of Europe. Intricate artwork conveys the delicate lace and accoutrements of court dress, patterned ceilings and cobblestone streets. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

The authors of Shaka, King of the Zulus vivify another colorful character as they recount the life and times of Elizabeth I, queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. They portray their subject as a wise, strong-willed ruler whose style it was ``to use her wits rather than force'' in dealing with her own councilors as well as the leaders of other countries. Through concise, skillful writing, the queen's involvement in the complex political and religious conflicts of the day becomes engrossing and easily comprehensible. With their attention to period detail--most strikingly the elaborate Elizabethan dress, jewels and palace furnishings--Stanley's paintings transport readers back to an intriguing era. Ages 6-9. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 5 Up-- That most wise and wily queen of England, Elizabeth I, is the subject of this picture biography. The handsome illustrations, exemplified by the visualization of those small English boats set afire and launched to face the Spanish Armada, are worthy of their subject. Although the format suggests a picture-book audience, this biography needs to be introduced to older readers who have the background to appreciate and understand this woman who dominated and named an age, and of whom the authors write, ``When it came to a clash of wills, the two houses of Parliament and all her councillors were no match for Elizabeth.'' The text is clearly written, explaining the main events and key decisions of Elizabeth's life and reign. For readers wanting more depth, a short bibliography of mostly adult titles ends the book. --Amy Kellman, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

School Library Journal