The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard

By Gregory Rogers

This wordless picture book takes place in two completely different times. It begins with a boy who is playing with his soccer ball and accedentially kicks it through a window. The boy goes to retrieve it and finds himself in an old theater. After playing around with the set, the boy finds a room of costumes. He tries many on before settling on an outfit from the Elizabethan era. He walks onto the stage only to be transported to the stage of the Globe Theater in London during the Elizabethan era! Due to the shock of the audience, a very grumpy Shakespeare comes out from backstage and chases the boy through London. In the process the boy sets free a bear, a baron and meets the Queen of England. When the Bard, Shakespeare finds the boy again, he rushes back to the Globe, runs back stage and is back in the old theater, though missing his cloak.

This story is wonderful! The pictures are shown in many different forms. Originally it looks like a comic book with many different frames on a page. As we get to England, more of the pages are taken up by the landscape and the scenery. It also includes many historical references such as the Tower of London. The bear and the boy get into the Tower and free the Baron. To get out, they go through Traitor's Gate and escape in a boat onto the River Thames. It could be used in a class of any age due to it's story and historical value!