Romeow and Drooliet

by Nina Laden

Book Overview

Author-artist Nina Laden has taken her trademark wit and applied it to one of Shakespeare's best-lovedplays. Adults familiar with the classic love story will delight in the many references to the original play, all of which make this a rarity: a children's book they want to read again and again. And young children who know nothing of the Bard will be riveted by this funny yet touching tale about Romeow the cat and Drooliet the dog, two star-crossed lovers who meet by chance, marry in secret, and are kept apart by a snarling rottweiler, appalled owners, and the animal control warden. The clever details throughout the book belie the careful research behind this homage to true love won and lostand in the case of this book won againproving once and for all that dogs and cats can be friends.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811839737
• ISBN13: 9780811839730
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 44 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.5" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

"With a wag of the tail to William Shakespeare"

Author/artist Nina Laden has written a new (children's) take on a familiar Shakespearean theme- true love won and lost, only for Romeow and Drooliet, the star-crossed cat and dog kept apart by a growling rottweiler, their astonished owners and the auspices of Animal Control, true love wins out in the end. Cleverly writing in iambic pentameter, Laden structures a humorous, romantic tale of the lovers parted by circumstances (and snarling dogs) beyond their control. Parents will appreciate the Shakespearean rhythms, even if the children do not pick up on this connection. But the rhyme and meter are what make this book so enchanting, combined with dramatic, vividly colored illustrations, a celebration of the power of good literature to inform and endure, easily transformed for enjoyment by the younger generation. The Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book hint at the hilarity ahead, the Felini's, a cat-loving family, the Barker's, dog lovers, Turbo, the Barker's guard dog (the infamous rottweiler) and Officer Prince, the Animal Control Warden. Look for such treats as the books on the Felini's coffee table, a paean to Shakespeare, "Much Ado About Napping" and "As You Lick It", or the phrasing of the lines spoken by the principals: "Oh Romeow, where is that fur-faced Romeow?" The happy couple is married by Mousignor Mouse, who pronounces: "You may now lick the bride!" A quality hardbound book published by Chronicle, this charming and witty tale is a welcome addition to a child's library of favorites, a subtle introduction to iambic pentameter and rhyme, as well as the spirited retelling of a beloved tale, made child-size by this talented author/artist. (Age 8 and up). Luan Gaines/2005.