Much Ado About Nothing Series: World Literature for Children Title: Much Ado About Nothing Author: William Shakespeare Retold by: Barbara Kindermann Artist: Almud Kunert Extent: 36 pp, 4/c throughout Format: 220 x 300 mm Pub. price: EUR 15,50 Pub. date: Spring 2009 German ISBN: 978-3-934029-35-4 Ages: 7 and up

Material available: German review copy

THE STORY:

Leonato, the Governor of the idyllic Italian town of Messina, shares his house with his lovely daughter Hero. He prepares to welcome some friends home from a successful battle, among them Claudio, a well-respected nobleman, the prince Don Pedro and his illegitimate brother Don Juan. After seeing Hero, Claudio quickly falls in love with her and she, too, is smitten with him. They pledge their love to one another and decide to get married. But the sneaky Don Juan envies their happiness and plots to ruin their wedding plan…

Meanwhile, Don Pedro and his friends harbor plans to matchmake his companion Benedict and Beatrice, Leonato’s niece, who are clearly meant for each other. But is this plan doomed in view of their constant disputes?

Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, published in the successful series “World Literature for Children”, is marvelously retold by Barbara Kindermann, whose version still mirrors closely Shakespeare’s original. Almud Kunert’s impressive illustrations add further magic to this romantic comedy about love, intrigues and happiness.

THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR:

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is worldwide known as England`s greatest ever playwright. In 1587 he moved to London where, after a short acting career, he became co-owner of the famous theatre „The Globe“, where still today his plays are being performed successfully. His Midsummer Night´s Dream carries the reader off to a mysterious world, in which phantasy and reality fuse in a miraculous state.

THE ARTIST:

Almud Kunert, born in 1964, studied painting and graphic design at the Academy of Graphic Arts in Munich. She is working as an independent illustrator for different publishers and in advertising.