The Musicians of Bremen
Kindergarten-Grade 4–This carefully worded retelling of the popular Grimm brothers' tale is also a lovely blend of text and illustration. Holding closely to the original, Puttapipat uses the conceit of the donkey, at the request of his three companions, relating the story of their grand adventure as an evening's entertainment. Nicely composed and finely detailed ink-and-watercolor illustrations cover a large part of each spread, leaving creamy spaces against which the text is set. The first and last paintings, outlined by white borders, help to carry out the framing device. On some pages, a soft, fine-lined black-ink vignette sits beside the larger colored composition, adding further pictorial detail from the text. The animals are realistically painted, with personality in their facial expressions. Chests out, heads held high, they have clearly bolstered their self-esteem by banding together. An author's note explains why the human characters are dressed in 17th-century garb. This beautifully executed folktale would be a great addition to any collection.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.