Special Features: Reed Business Information (c) 2006 Gr 4-8-This timeless tale is retold in clear prose interspersed with quoted dialogue, italicized for easy identification. The well-known elements are here: the feuding families; the love-at-first-sight encounter of the protagonists; their passionate-if-short-lived romance; and the reconciliation brought about by the teens' tragic deaths. Although the text generally flows smoothly, there are problems. Romeo's bemoaning his unrequited love of Rosaline is never mentioned, eliminating the whole premise of him easily transferring his passion from one girl to another. While the language generally suggests the poetry of the original verse, (e.g., "she knew the breath of love"), some of the phrases are oversimplified or too modern in tone. For example, a hotheaded Tybalt mutters, "Just you wait-.You'll pay for this." Later, when Romeo confesses his feelings for Juliet to Friar Laurence, the priest never attempts to urge him to go slowly, as he does in Shakespeare's play. Set in a wash of sepia tones that suggest the rich colors of old Verona, Unzner's watercolor-and-pen illustrations are well executed; however, her technique of overlaying subsidiary characters in penned sketches gives the artwork a somewhat cluttered and unfinished appearance. Furthermore, the quotes that are incorporated into the pictures are often difficult to read and distracting. While Kindermann's accessible version will appeal to a younger and less sophisticated audience than Bruce Coville's version (Dial, 1999), it will not replace his exquisite retelling.-Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI?