All the World's a Stage: William Shakespeare—a Pop-up Biography

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

Pop-up books are perennially fascinating, and this biographical
introduction to William Shakespeare is no exception. The pop-up scenes
are constructed of stiff, glossy cardboard; the three-dimensional effect
is ingenious. The well-chosen scenes include a market scene in
Shakespeare’s town, Stratford-on-Avon; a London scene where his plays
were first performed; stage settings for his plays A Midsummer Night’s
Dream and Romeo and Juliet; and a cutout image of the Globe Theatre’s
exterior, where lifting a flap reveals a stage and a scene from As You
Like It. The pop-ups are partnered on every page with biographical,
historical, and cultural commentary. The wide-ranging text is aimed at
children aged eight to 12. Staging details such as the one of the trap
door in the stage, which was used for burial scenes or as a hell-pit for
villains, should intrigue young readers.

All the World’s a Stage is a unique and imaginative introduction to
the Bard. Recommended.