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From School Library Journal

Starred review from March 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 4-Lovely and engaging, this accessible retelling of a theatrical staple will usher in a new generation of Shakespearean devotees. Ariel, a spirit of the air, takes center stage, instantly drawing in young readers with his magical abilities. In lyrical first-person narrative, Ariel recounts the story of Prospero. Ray's vibrantly hued paintings balance lush botanical details with airy motion and a mood of mysterious enchantment. The visuals add greatly to the plot and characterizations; the graceful Miranda looks equally at home swinging from a tree branch or reading a book, and Caliban, punished here by Prospero for making them feel unwelcome, skulks moodily inside a cave. Italicized quotes from the play are sprinkled throughout, providing a taste of the original language. The story is framed at beginning and end with proscenium-style images, but the rest of the pages are adorned with Ray's stunning full-bleed artwork, fully immersing readers in this timeless tale. VERDICT An engaging work with beautiful illustrations.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

Starred review from December 15, 2019
Mirth, magic, and mischief abound in this picture-book retelling of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. Ariel, the beloved sprite whose conjurings precipitate the eponymous tempest, gets top billing in this adaptation and recounts the narrative in the first person. Through Ariel's eyes, readers are introduced to the powerful Prospero, his lovely daughter, Miranda, and the shipwrecked nobles who are brought to the island to right an ancient wrong. Ellinas' picture book largely divests the tale of its colonialist underpinnings and breathes three-dimensional complexity into the major and minor characters. Caliban, for instance, is monstrous due to his callous treatment of Ariel rather than because he is racially coded as savage. Another delightful change is the depiction of Miranda, who emerges as an athletic, spirited, and beautiful nature-child whose charms are understandably irresistible to Prince Ferdinand. The text is perfectly matched by Ray's jaw-droppingly beautiful illustrations, which will enchant readers from the front cover to the final curtain. The greens of the waters and the blues of the island's night sky are so lush and inviting that readers will wish they could enter the book. Peppered throughout the story are italicized fragments of Shakespeare's dialogue, giving both young and older readers something to enjoy. Large, granite-colored Caliban is plainly nonhuman; the human characters present white; Ariel is a translucent, paper white. A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids' dreams are--and will be--made on. (Picture book. 4-8)

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From Library Journal

May 1, 2006
Two of the bard's heavy dramas join Yale's wonderful -Annotated Shakespeare - series. Along with a heavily annotated text, each volume includes a scholarly introduction plus notes on the annotations. All that for the price of a Happy Meal; how can you go wrong?

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from March 4, 1996
Prospero-like in their artistry, Spirin's dazzling watercolors dominate this retelling of Shakespeare's final play. Shaped like altar panels fit for a Renaissance church or palace, the illustrations are romantic, regal and magical, richly interpreting the play's themes of betrayal, revenge and all-conquering love. A wispy ethereal air pervades island scenes, beautifully suggesting the atmosphere of enchantment, while Antonio and the King of Naples are pictured in brocade and velvet, the stench of power upon them. The other characters, too, are both otherworldly and very much flesh and blood. Especially well rendered is the monster Caliban, shown here as part man, part beast, part mythical creature, a sense of evil glee lighting his features. While this prose adaptation does not, of course, retain the full magic of the Bard's work, Beneduce nonetheless provides an intelligent, gripping story. Several passages from Shakespeare introduced at key points give a taste of the original. Symbols and small pictures integrated into the text further enhance the lavish presentation. All ages.

From AudioFile Magazine

THE TEMPEST opens with the titular violent storm at sea, complete with booming thunder, driving rain, and the panicked shouts of people onboard a ship about to be wrecked. It's just one of the ways that the sound medium is used to especially good effect throughout the production. Seagulls cry, soothing lute music plays, and the listener can easily imagine the setting. Sir Ian McKellen wields his commanding voice masterfully as the wizard Prospero reigns over his island dukedom, orchestrating events. The other performers are also compelling, particularly Scott Handy who, as the spirit Ariel, is called upon to sing as well as act. It's a magical production, enhanced (but not overshadowed) by McKellen's star power. J.M.D. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine