The Pied Piper of Hamelin
True to the spirit of the original tale, this attractive retelling adds some new twists and a happy ending without denying the dark, universal drama. The narrator is a small orphan boy on a crutch who lives with little food and shelter in the Hamelin shantytown, which is ignored by a fat, cruel mayor and his powerful cronies. When Hamelin is overrun with a plague of rats, the Pied Piper comes to town and gets rid of the problem. But when the mayor reneges on his bargain, the Piper plays music that lures all the local children, who follow him out of town in a long, dancing, happy line. Clark’s large, bright spreads will have kids poring over the minutely detailed collage scenes, from the crowded slums to the Piper leading thousands of rats into the river. Then there are the close-ups that contrast the ragged kids with the pompous mayor and his overdressed companions. In this version, the Piper gets the power to clean up the filth and restore the town, and the children come back to a new world. Grades K-3. --Hazel Rochman