Free The Pied Piper Of Hamelin Ebooks Online
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.
Hardcover: 28 pages
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 30, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0395899184
ISBN-13: 978-0395899182
Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,496,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #121 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European #891 in Books > Children's Books > Geography & Cultures > Explore the World > Europe #1439 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural
Age Range: 4 - 7 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
I have been collecting children's illustrated books since 1999;I have nearly 1300 of them now. And I would put this one in myTop Ten favorites. First, I like this particular story becauseit takes place near the village of my German ancestors. Second,architecture nearly always plays a large part in my list of topfavorites and this is loaded with wonderful old medievalbuildings (the illustrator's father was an architect and his lovefor it shows). Third, I am partial to stories in rhyme which thisnot only has but it is also very easy flowing rhyme. It is neverstrained. Fourth, the moral remains in place and could in factbe used in political discussion. When the Piper asks forpayment for his services, the townsfolk reply: "'What? Give all we have, the town's greatest riches! You'd be lucky to get a newpair 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 neverheard of these two Aussies before, but I will keep looking fortheir work from now on. P.S. The illustrator, Zak, came toAustralia by way of Prague, Czech Republic, which has probablythe greatest concentration of beautiful architecture in theworld. No wonder he is so good at depicting it!
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.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin El The Pied Piper / Flautista de Hamelin: A Bilingual Book (Bilingual Fairy Tales) The Pied Piper Syndrome and Other Essays (A Charlotte Zolotow Book) Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: The Sea Pony Dance to the Piper (New York Review Books Classics) Dance to the Piper (The O'Hurleys Series)
