#408 of 1001 · September 12, 2021

This week, I’ll be delving into an old German legend that has inspired fear and curiosity for generations: The Pied Piper of Hamelin. To begin, let us consider a version originally written in German by Renate Raecke and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. The people in the old German town of Hamelin have been overrun by rats. A man in pied, or multicolored, robes appears and offers to remove the rats in exchange for a large sum of money. The bargain is struck, and the rat-catcher plays a tune on a pipe that lures the rats out of the town and into the River Weser to drown. The people rejoice at being rid of the pests, but suddenly balk at paying the promised fee. In revenge, the Pied Piper begins to play a different tune on his pipe, a mysterious song that bewitches the children of the town, who follow him into a nearby mountain and are never seen again. Raecke retells this traditional tale with compelling language, accompanied by Zwerger’s haunting art, which depicts the events of the story with dramatic lighting and angles. A note for folklore enthusiasts: the most familiar telling of this legend comes from Kinder- und Hausmärchen by the Brothers Grimm, who state with striking specificity that the strange occurrence took place on June 26th, 1284. #piper #rat #rats #child #children #german #germany #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks