With neon-colored graphics and lively texts written by literature professors, the titles in the Shakespeare Explained series offer engaging introductions to the Bard’s work. Each title in the series begins with the same wide-ranging introduction, written by Joseph Sobran, which covers Shakespeare’s enduring place in literature, the politics and culture of his world, speculations about the true authorship of his works, and recommendations of the best film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. The following chapters discuss a specific work at length, with an overview and discussion of the play’s plot, major characters, themes, motifs, and language. In The Tempest, it is Krueger’s lively, opinionated, and knowledgeable analysis of the complex play that will easily draw students into further discussion. Many of the visuals in both volumes, including numerous film stills and stage-production photos, aim for a hip effect; The Tempest, for example, features a green-skinned, mohawked Ariel on its cover. Brief plot quizzes, a chronology, suggested essay topics, resource lists, and a bibliography conclude each volume in this approachable series that’s sure to find wide classroom use.