Book Pick—Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams, retel.

From SLJ March 2007 (Starred Review)

Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI -- School Library Journal, 2/26/2007

WILLIAMS, Marcia, retel. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. illus. by reteller. 45p. glossary. Candlewick. 2007. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3197-0. LC 2006040619.

Gr 4-8–Chaucer's pilgrims come to life in this energetic retelling of nine tales. The most familiar stories–"The Nun's Priest's Tale," "The Pardoner's Tale," and "The Wife of Bath's Tale"–are here, as are the earthier Miller's and Summoner's tales, and the clever Knight's and Clerk's tales. Quotes in medieval English are featured in dialogue bubbles, while the stories themselves are told in clear modern prose with a poetic bent. For example, in the "The Wife of Bath's Tale," the knight "glimpsed a group of delightful damsels dancing in a glade." As happens throughout the text, children are introduced to elevated vocabulary that captures the original intent of Chaucer's poetry, while elucidating the meaning of the unfamiliar words through the illustrations. Throughout, the juxtaposition of medieval and modern English adds to the comic feel. The watercolor-and-ink cartoon art displayed in a comic-book format is a perfect match for the raucous and sometimes-raw humor, with exaggerated facial expressions and purposely disproportionate body parts. For instance, in "The Miller's Tale," when Alison offers her bottom out the window for Absolon to kiss, it is a rather prominent derriere that meets his waiting lips, a fact that is sure to provoke loud guffaws from students. The essence of each tale is intact, allowing the audience to savor Chaucer's genius, with free use of words such as "fart." Williams's collection is an excellent opportunity to expose children to more accounts than the four in Barbara Cohen's The Canterbury Tales (HarperCollins, 1988). A sure way to hook kids into reading classic literature.