| Title | : | Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0688179614 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780688179618 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 40 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1990 |
Elizabeth was born into an age of religious strife, in which plots and factions were everywhere and private beliefs could be punished by death. When she became queen, her counselors urged her to marry quickly and turn the responsibilities of governing over to her husband, But she outwitted them by stalling, changing her mind; and playing one side against another, as she steered her country to the glorious era of peace and security that would be called the Elizabethan Age.
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.
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.
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England Reviews
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Wife-and-husband team Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema - whose other picture-book biographies include
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare and
Charles Dickens: The Man who had Great Expectations - here tell the story of England's Queen Elizabeth I, for whom the 'Elizabethan Age' was named. From her father, King Henry VIII, and his pursuit (through six wives) of a son, to Elizabeth's own girlhood, her accession to the throne, and her long reign, Good Queen Bess covers the major events and ideas of its subject's life and times, introducing complex topics - religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, issues of succession - in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way.
Although an excellent biography for young readers, I do have to agree with those who have said that this is not - despite being a picture-book - a title that would be appropriate for very young children. It's too text heavy for that, with concepts that are a little too involved, and would be better aimed at children who are independent readers. Those children for whom it is well suited, however, are really in for a treat! With a fascinating topic, and gorgeous goauche illustrations (I really prefer the cover of the edition I read, with its decorative border, to the reissued edition, which simply has Elizabeth's face on a deep maroon background), Good Queen Bess is simply a fabulous children's biography! -
Our family read-aloud in honour of Queen Elizabeth I who died this day, March 24, 1603.
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I’ve found Diane Stanley’s long form picture book biographies are excellent for both kids, and adults who vaguely remember a few facts about historical figures. Good Queen Bess was no exception. Looking forward to The Bard of Avon next.
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Read for Sonlight history. As an English major who concentrated almost entirely on the Elizabethan era, I was displeased with the uneven and even unflattering treatment of Elizabeth I in the otherwise charming Child's History of the World. But I'm so glad Sonlight included this as a counterpoint, giving more nuance to the conflict with Mary Stuart and highlighting Elizabeth's significant achievements, even including the best excerpt from her Tilbury Plains speech! My middle child said at one point, "Wow, she was a great queen! Are there any photographs of her?" (Of course, she had to make do with a portrait.) If anything, this book glossed over Elizabeth's faults. But there's no denying: she WAS a great queen, and this book does a great job of demonstrating exactly that.
The illustrations were a bit stiff, but the girls seemed to find them interesting. -
An excellent biographical picture book of Queen Elizabeth I.
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This biography covers the life of Queen Elizabeth I from the story of her birth to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to her death at 70. The text is pretty detailed covering the topics like religious tensions, her avoidance of marriage, exploration, entertainment (including Shakespeare), and important political relationships of the time. I have read and watched a lot on this time period, but still found a few new gems in there. Even in covering some scandalous material, the text is straightforward in relaying the history, not gratuitous or explicit at all, making this entirely appropriate for upper elementary kids.
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As a history buff who has read many books about this glorious queen and era, I found this children's book utterly fascinating and well written. It is a wonderful history lesson in picture book style. The author deftly weaves the tale of this intelligent queen and the tumultuous times in which she reigned - all at a child's level of understanding. The illustrations are depicted in old world style and inspiration taken from master's portraits of the day. If you are looking for a wonderful history lesson about Queen Elizabeth for your middle-school children, this is a great read and captures many important milestones in Elizabeth's life and reign. I highly recommend it.
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I read this book to my 11 year old son for homeschool. We have read other Diane Stanley books and we have enjoyed all that we've read. The writing and the illustrations work well together in this book to narrate the story of Queen Elizabeth I in an overview way that a child can grasp. At the end of reading this book we had a better understanding of who Queen Elizabeth I was and her impact in England and history.
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Easy to read introduction to Queen Elizabeth with well done illustrations. The book covers her life well, including controversies and tensions and love and politicking but at a high level where kids won't get overwhelmed by details. It gives them a nice framework to start filling in when they get a little older. Very happy to add to our personal library.
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Read as a part of the homeschooling curriculum. An enjoyable read about Elizabeth, which gave some helpful insights into her amazing intellect and establishment of the British nation as a world empire
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We have read several of Diane Stanley's biographies for children and they never disappoint. This one about Queen Elizabeth is beautifully illustrated and handles the complexity of the religious wars and other events during her life very well.
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A straight forward overview of "The Story of Elizabeth I of England", phrased in a palatable way for younger audiences. Didn't much care for most of the illustrations.
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A wonderful picture book that makes a complicated time in history easy to understand. The beautiful illustrations helped to keep the attention of my 7-9 year old students.
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I really enjoyed this book, lots of information and not at all boring. I learnt a lot and the children enjoyed it as well.
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It was kinda scary, but other than that it was really good!
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📖 with Grace
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Good living book!
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Excellent introduction to Queen Elizabeth I of England for young readers. We enjoyed reading it aloud.
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Great little history book with nice illustrations.
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A good kid-friendly biography of Queen Elizabeth I that I read with my little kids as part of our homeschool curriculum (the current chapter is about the Elizabethan Age)
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Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England
Grades 4-6
Non-Fiction Social Studies
Diane Stanley’s beautifully detailed paintings capture the geographical, social, religious and political history of England during the 1500s. There is a moderate amount of text and detailed illustrations that are rich in historical information, explaining the religious and political climate of England during the 1500s. The authors, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema provide an interesting study of a royal family that put the “fun” in dysfunctional, telling a story that reads like a mythological folktale about betrayal, deception, murderous plots, injustice, tragedies, victories and such mysterious qualities as luck and fate. All of these elements are sure to get students interested in this study of history. The story begins with the reign of King Henry VIII, who wanted a son to rule England after his death, but whose wife of seventeen years, Catherine of Aragon, only bore him a daughter, Mary. His desperate need for a son led him to ask the Pope to declare his marriage illegal, which the Pope refused to do. Henry decided to resolve the issue by forming the Church of England, forcing all citizens to become members. Though his intent was to have an excuse to leave his wife, he changed England’s religious history forever by forcing the citizens of England to break from the Catholic Church. As head of the Church he created new rules about marriage and was finally able to leave Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, who was sure to have a son. Anne gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Elizabeth, and who unbeknownst to all would one day become one of the most intelligent, powerful and influential rulers of England. After several failed attempts to give the King a son, Anne was put to death for treason by none other than her own beloved husband. King Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, finally gave him a son, Edward. The son Henry had risked so much to have dies a mere six years after becoming king. Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, was next in line to the throne, but made the mistake of marrying the future King of Spain, Prince Phillip. By the end of Edward’s reign, many English had accepted the new Protestant Church, but Mary and Phillip were devout Catholics who forced citizens to change their religion all over again. Mary burned more than 300 subjects for heresy when they clung to their Protestant faith, and after five years of rule “Bloody Mary” died, leaving behind no children. Much to the relief of English citizens, at long last Elizabeth became the new monarch. The rest is history. Students would really enjoy this book because it tells history by giving an interesting narrative about the people behind the religious, political and social history of England, making the study of the Elizabethan Age much more engaging and easy for the students to understand.
Language Arts/Social Studies
Grades 4-6
Students can write about their favorite part of this historic story and compare and contrast Mary, Elizabeth’s half sister, with either her father King Henry VIII or Elizabeth.
For Social Studies students can learn more about how British political history relates to early American political history in lessons about secularity of government and freedom of religion known as “Separation of Church and State,” credited to the English political philosopher John Locke. “Separation of Church and State,” is covered in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. -
This is a wonderful picture book biography of Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most revered queens of England. Readers will learn of Elizabeth's birth, the beheading of her mother, her early life, ascension to the throne and years of sovereignty over England through religious strife, marriage woes, and an ultimately peaceful reign. The rich illustrations have the feel of Elizabethan tapestries. An appropriate selection for early writers, grades 3-6, researching a very interesting subject. Lucky them, if this book falls into their hands!
CIP Summary:
None. From the book jacket: She was a shrewd queen whose strong will, shrewd diplomacy, religious tolerance, and great love for her subjects won the hearts of her people.
From Hornbook:
Complexities of politics and personality are necessarily simplified for this slim, handsome volume, but their substance is remarkably well conveyed. This is a welcome reissue of a fascinating introduction to one of history's most influential figures.
From Publisher's Weekly:
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. -
Subject
Elizabeth I (1533-1603), known as Good Queen Bess, was Queen of England and Ireland from 1559 to 1603.
Scope
This book claims to tell how "Elizabeth acted with tolerance and moderation in religious matters." It explains how she came to power, and how she ruled, including her refusal to marry and her odd relationship with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.
About the Illustrations
The pictures in this book are done in the artistic style of the time period, with lots of detailed depictions of clothing. They are mainly useful in helping the reader keep track of the different key figures who played a role in Elizabeth's life.
Author's Note
The author's note appears at the beginning of this book, and sets the stage for the narrative to follow. It provides some basic information about the Protestant Reformation and the general nature of religious belief prior to Elizabeth's birth. A bibliography appears at the end of the book.
Additional Comments
Though this text downplays Elizabeth's anti-Catholicism, the language surrounding Catholics is generally pretty neutral. The Catholic church is described as it would have been seen through the eyes of Protestants, but I did not feel that the book painted the Church in an unfairly villainous light. Overall, I think I would feel comfortable using this book to teach my Catholic children about the Reformation, along with other resources from other perspectives.
