The Pied Piper of Hamelin

By Robert Holden

Book Overview

Hamelin town has a plague of rats, and if something isn't done soon, everyone will starve. The people vow to give up everything to rid the town of the rats. And so the help of the Pied Piper is enlisted to dispose of the nasty pests. He plays a sweet tune and the rats, dancing, follow the music to their end. But when the townsfolk refuse to pay the Piper, he takes up his flute and plays an even sweeter tune. This time, it's the town's children who follow. In this splendid retelling of one of the most enduring folktales to be passed down through the centuries, Drahos Zak's evocative and intricately detailed illustrative style complements Robert Holden's sensitive and poetic text. Their collaboration brings new dimensions to this universally human story.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395899184
• ISBN13: 9780395899182
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Length: 28 Pages
• Weight: 0.99 lbs.
• Dimensions: 13.0" x 0.5" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

I would give it a dozen stars if I could

I have been collecting children's illustrated books since 1999; I have nearly 1300 of them now. And I would put this one in my Top Ten favorites. First, I like this particular story because it takes place near the village of my German ancestors. Second, architecture nearly always plays a large part in my list of top favorites and this is loaded with wonderful old medieval buildings (the illustrator's father was an architect and his love for it shows). Third, I am partial to stories in rhyme which this not only has but it is also very easy flowing rhyme. It is never strained. Fourth, the moral remains in place and could in fact be used in political discussion. When the Piper asks for payment for his services, the townsfolk reply: "'What? Give all we have, the town's greatest riches! You'd be lucky to get a new pair of britches!' The Piper stood still, and saw that these creatures had nothing of kindness nor truth in their features" And last, I love making new & talented discoveries. I had never heard of these two Aussies before, but I will keep looking for their work from now on. P.S. The illustrator, Zak, came to Australia by way of Prague, Czech Republic, which has probably the greatest concentration of beautiful architecture in the world. No wonder he is so good at depicting it!

beautiful book

This is a gorgeous book and a wonderful version of the story for young kids. The ending is of course sad for the parents in the story (the kids leave with the piper because the parents did not pay his bill), but for the kids in the story, things don't seem so bad. "The children left singing for a future much brighter. And thus Hamelin paid for the tunes of the piper." The illustrations are spectacular (some of the most interesting pictures I have seen in a children's book). I bought this book initially because I could not obtain an out-of-print version of the Pied Piper story which was recommended in Jim Trelease's book THE READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK (a wonderful resource for parents who want to teach children the enjoyment of reading and books). When I finally obtained the book Mr. Trelease recommended, I found I liked this version illustrated by Drahos Zak and retold by Robert Holden even better. My kids are in first and third grades, and both love this book (I love it too!) I recommend this book very highly.