Cleopatra by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema

Genre IV

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane and Peter Vennema. 1994. CLEOPATRA. New York. Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688154808

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The husband and wife author team of Stanley and Vennema follow a queen from age eighteen until her death at age thirty nine in their book, CLEOPATRA. Readers will learn the truth about her life and why she has been incorrectly portrayed over time. From ruling alongside her brothers to her true ancestry, myths are dispelled and facts are revealed concerning this woman most know by name and romantic connections alone.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Stanley and Vennema pull readers into this tale of a remarkable woman by explaining Cleopatra’s true heritage and her correct name and hold the reader’s attention throughout with their significant storytelling abilities. Their clarifying statement that Cleopatra VII, a descendant of Alexander the Great’s Greek general Ptolemyl was born in 69 B.C. and was not an Egyptian queen of the pyramid building era as others believe, starts the reader off on a path of exciting discovery. They go on to provide extensive information about her political, familiar and personal struggles. The authors include many valuable resources in their book. A preface devoted to her ancestry and the comparisons of Rome and Egypt, a note on how ancient sources have been used and a pronunciation guide are some of the most useful. Two maps of Egypt and Roman Provinces help readers to visualize empires that do not exist today. The epilogue and bibliography support readers who want to learn more about this amazing woman and period in world history. Stanley has chosen the artistic style of gouache to create her full color illustrations and compliments them with Alexandrian style mosaic pages, inserts and borders. She is able to accomplish a connection between a historical time and the present through the use of her art and text.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Book List: Gr. 3-6. Using their distinctive picture book biography format made popular in their volumes on Shaka, Shakespeare, and Dickens, Stanley and Vennema present the life of a legend, Cleopatra. The artwork includes full-page paintings of dramatic scenes as well as impressive painted mosaics that make up the jacket art, title page, and the background for the text. The story concerns Cleopatra's life from the age of 18, when she became the queen of Egypt (51 B.C.), through her liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and her struggle to bring back Egypt's former glory, to her death at the age of 39. One of the most impressive qualities of this beautiful book is its recognition of the problems of researching and writing history. Not only does a note introduce Plutarch as the main source, but it also discusses why Plutarch's account may not be entirely reliable. Even in the text, the authors point out areas of doubt or inconsistency. Taken simply as a story, the book has a sumptuous setting, heroic characters, name recognition, high drama, and a tragic ending. An intriguing portrait.

School Library Journal: Grade 3-6-"It is traditionally believed that Cleopatra dazzled Caesar with her great beauty. Instead, it was the power of her intelligence and personality that drew him to her." In this lively, well-crafted biography, Stanley and Vennema brush the cobwebs from the popularly held portrait of Cleopatra to reveal a vital, warm, and politically adroit ruler. Lucid writing combines with carefully selected anecdotes, often attributed to the Greek historian Plutarch, to create an engaging narrative. The young queen's marriage to her brother Ptolemy XIII is placed in the context of practices of the rulers of the day. A "Note on Ancient Sources" and a map precede the text; an epilogue, pronunciation guide, and a brief bibliography are appended. Stanley's stunning, full-color gouache artwork is arresting in its large, well-composed images executed in flat Greek style. The palette is as rich and sumptuous as the court at Alexandria. Cover art and endpapers simulate period mosaics; the text is set against a faux-tile backdrop that reinforces the book's design and illustration. The figures of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony stride powerfully across scenes of Egypt and the Roman Empire. Finally, Cleopatra emerges as a savvy, astute, and complex leader who followed both her heart and mind.



5. CONNECTIONS
*Referring to Stanley and Vennema’s “Note on Ancient Sources”, have students discuss why the truth about Cleopatra is not more widely known.
*Other biographies of Cleopatra:
Grant, Michael. 1972. Cleopatra. New York. Simon and Schuster.
Hoobler, Dorothy and Thomas. 1986. Cleopatra. New York. Chelsea House Publishers.