The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Rating:
Summary: beautiful book
Review: 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.