Play! is a delightful children’s chapter book by Barbara J. Sloan, featuring illustrations by Jarrett Rutland, which appeals to all ages. The narrative follows cousins Collins and Violet as they are taken on magical time-travel adventures by Professor Dante Marlowe Browne. With him, they learn about theatre history and playgoing manners. Their journeys span various historical periods from Ancient Greece to the Victorian era—demonstrating how audience etiquette has evolved. The work culminates with the trio attending a performance of Peter Pan at the modern-day Sizzlepop Theatre, reinforced by a final list of Professor Browne’s Playgoing Manners.
“Barbara Sloan has written a charming book that will make kids and grown-ups alike fall in love with the history and the magic of live theatre. Through the magic of their friend Professor Browne, cousins Violet and Collins are transported across time and distance to experience what it was like to be everything from groundling at the Globe Theater, to a part of the Chorus in Ancient Greece— and why maybe it’s not a good idea to throw rotten apples at actors in any age!”
Roger Day is an award-winning children’s songwriter and performer known for his witty, literate lyrics and music that delights kids without talking down to them.
“Time travel through theatre history from Ancient Greece to a Medieval Village in York to Commedia dell’arte to Shakespeare himself at the Old Globe, and all the way to the contemporary Sizzlepop Theatre, Barbara Sloan has created a theatrical romp through the ages in PLAY. With such real characters in Collins and Violet, best friends and cousins, who journey with Uncle Marley in the world of storytelling and plays, this is a story of comedy, tragedy, theatre etiquette, and everything in between. The gorgeous illustrations of Jarrett Rutland and the beautiful language of Sloan masterfully raise the curtain to inspire, teach, and invite young readers to explore the world of theatre through characters, masks, lyres, costumes, and spectacular adventures.”
Kerry Madden-Lunsford is an acclaimed children’s and young adult author celebrated for her lyrical storytelling and deep compassion for young people finding their voices.
