All The World's A Stage: William Shakespeare, A Pop-up Biography by Michael Bender Search Amazon for other books by or about Michael Bender. Rating: Reviewed by: John L. Hoh, Jr.

There appears to be a Shakespeare revival among movie studios. Romeo and Juliet is made in a modern tale (Romeo and Juliet) as well as a look at Shakespeare's possible love life (Shakespeare in Love). Various other plays find screen adaptations, both in traditional settings as well as the more modern settings.

But who was William Shakespeare and what was life like when he lived? Well, handily, this pop-up biography lets you "pop in" on Shakespeare and some of his plays, as well as a look at the Globe Theater. It also demonstrates some of the dramatic techniques used by Shakespeare in telling a story.

This is, by virtue of being a pop-up book, a child's book. Given the amount of biographical information we have about good ol' Bill, it is an admirable attempt. Using verse from The Bard himself, you likely will have to translate a few lines for your child. This book is good for younger children as they would be fascinated by the moving pieces.

This is the first attempt I've seen at writing biography via pop-up format (and this isn't VH-1 Pop-Up Videos, although the concept may have been spurred by that). As drama is about action on stage, the marriage in this biography seems to work better than it might in others. Certainly it gives an added dimension to looking at a person's life.