Reviews

Gr 3-6 This new edition of Browning's classic poem joins one other that is in print, Kate Greenaway's (Warne, 1889), a classic in its own right. Ivanov's edition is beautifully set in black italic type, and his realistic pictures are quite effective in depicting action, setting and character. There are 15 dramatic, vividly painted scenes giving varied perspectives, each spread over two pages. The gentler Greenaway illustrations, done in warm, softer colors, are smaller but more than twice in number and place more emphasis on children. That book remains in print for good reason, as it is one of her best efforts; her children who follow the piper really appear to be dancing in a trance. But Ivanov is successful in different ways. The medieval atmosphere and the avarice of the burghers come across better, as does a sense of what a truly disgusting plague the rats were. Because of the difficulty children will have in reading the italic typeface, Ivanov's version is more suitable for reading aloud than for independent reading. Ronald Van de Voorde, Graduate Library School, University of Arizona, Tucson

Browning's poem, a classic, is based on a legend from medieval times. It tells of a brightly-clad stranger who offers to rid the town of Hamelin of rats, for an agreed-upon sum of money. When he plays a haunting tune on his pipe, the rats follow him to their deaths in the river, but the mayor won't pay the piper. In revenge, the piper lures the children out of town into a cave, forever separated from their parents, though in a Utopian land of beauty. The poem's language is rich and lyrical, although spots are difficult for children to grasp, which is why many of the versions for children are adaptations. Here is a new, unabridged edition, dramatically illustrated in glowing colors (sometimes verging on gaudy). It's full of motion and expression, capturing the spirit of the poem and the details of the medieval town, as well as the Eden-like land where the children are taken. (59)