In dignified, stately prose, Morpurgo retells the ancient epic that "troubles and terrifies us now as much as ever it did our ancestors, for we still fear the evil that stalks out there in the darkness and beyond." Matching the heroic tone of the narrative is Foreman's elegant watercolor art, which portrays dim, torch-lit medieval settings and epic battles between the gallant Beowulf and the terrifying monsters. The richly delineated illustrations make the book appear to be for middle-grades, but Morpurgo's Beowulf, like Rosemary Sutcliff's version (1961), retains the robust, violent nature of the original tale and is best suited for somewhat older students.

This thoughtful retelling preserves many of the qualities of the original text--rich language heavy with alliteration, strong emotions and violent battles, thoughtful reflections and nostalgic yearning. Foreman's soft and often pretty pictures of flowing-haired warriors and almost comic monsters in shadowed halls and murky landscapes seem aimed at a younger audience than does the text.

"Hear, and listen well, my friends, and I will tell you a tale that has been told for a thousand years and more." It's not exactly a rarely told tale, either, though this complete rendition is distinguished by both handsome packaging and a prose narrative that artfully mixes alliterative language reminiscent of the original, with currently topical references to, for instance, Grendel's "endless terror raids," and the "holocaust at Heorot." Along with being printed on heavy stock and surrounded by braided borders, the text is paired to colorful scenes featuring a small human warrior squaring off with a succession of grimacing but not very frightening monsters in battles marked by but a few discreet splashes of blood. <p>"Hear, and listen well, my friends, and I will tell you a tale that has been told for a thousand years and more." It's not exactly a rarely told tale, either, though this complete rendition is distinguished by both handsome packaging and a prose narrative that artfully mixes alliterative language reminiscent of the original, with currently topical references to, for instance, Grendel's "endless terror raids," and the "holocaust at Heorot." Along with being printed on heavy stock and surrounded by braided borders, the text is paired to colorful scenes featuring a small human warrior squaring off with a succession of grimacing but not very frightening monsters in battles marked by but a few discreet splashes of blood. Morpurgo puts his finger on the story's enduring appeal--"we still fear the evil that stalks out there in the darkness . . . "--but offers a version unlikely to trouble the sleep of more sensitive readers or listeners. <i>(Fiction. 10-12)</i></p>

Gr 7 Up-Morpurgo retells the classic story of the courageous young warrior from the land of Geats (now southern Sweden) who used his brute strength to save the neighboring Danes, then his own kinsmen, by slaying two horrible monsters, a sea serpent, and a massive dragon. The tale has been divided into three segments: the story of the monster Grendel's defeat; the slaying of his mother, the sea-hag; and the battle with the death dragon of the deep. Morpurgo has retold the tale in twisting, long-winded sentences that call to mind the way in which old epics were recounted by poets and bards. The text-filled pages framed with a Celtic-style border are broken up with small watercolor illustrations tucked here and there to help move things along. Many attractive full-page watercolor and pastel paintings illustrate important action-filled scenes-battles, a banquet, and Beowulf's funeral pyre. Morpurgo's short acknowledgment states that his inspiration for this version of the Old English classic came from the likes of Seamus Heaney, Rosemary Sutcliffe, and Kevin Crossley-Holland. The lack of introductory material and historical background is noticeable but overall this is a fine retelling.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.