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Summary
Summary
Lisbeth Zwerger is one of the pre-eminent interpreters of classic fairytales, and here she presents her version of The Grimm Brothers' The Bremen Town Musicians , a tale of four beleaguered animals who outwit some frightful robbers.
Author Notes
Jacob W. Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm K. Grimm (1786-1859) pioneered the study of German philosophy, law, mythology and folklore, but they are best known for their collection of fairy tales. These include such popular stories as Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and The Frog Prince. Commonly referred to now as Grimm's Fairy Tales, their collection was published as Kinder-und-Hausmarchen (Children's and Household Tales, 1812-15).
The brothers were born thirteen months apart in the German province of Hesse, and were inseparable from childhood. Throughout their lives they showed a marked lack of sibling rivalry. Most of their works were written together, a practice begun in childhood when they shared a desk and sustained throughout their adult lives. Since their lives and work were so collaborative, it is difficult now to differentiate between them, but of course there were differences.-
Jacob, who studied for a time in Paris, was fascinated with variant spellings of older words. He articulated "Grimm's Law," the rules of which are still used today to determine correspondences between the consonants of German and languages in the Indo-European family. Jacob was bolder and more experimental than Wilhelm, and was rumored to be a lively dancer. Throughout his life, Jacob kept rigidly to schedule and could be extremely focused on work that demanded close attention to detail. He never married, but was a loving uncle to Wilhelm's children.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are buried side by side in Berlin.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A competent translation and soft, minimalist paintings recount this oft-told tale. Many of the framed text pages carry a small portrait of a figure featured in the larger facing scene. This story is built around dialogue among a donkey, cat, dog, and rooster and rises to a bit of action in the two scaring-the-robbers scenes. The illustrations keep the speakers in the foreground with almost no details in the colored backgrounds except for very small, wispy overhead vignettes echoing story elements. These small, almost indistinct figures are vague and dreamy, and the soft forms and gentle tone of the pictures never build the humor usually associated with the plucky "musicians" and the villains. It's a pleasant introduction to the story, but the renditions by Hans Wilhelm (Scholastic, 1992), Janet Stevens (Holiday House, 1992), Ilse Plume (Yearling, 1998), and Paul Galdone (McGraw-Hill, 1968; o.p.) are stronger.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The inimitable Zwerger ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) and experienced translator Bell transform what in other hands has come off as a silly story into a captivating tale about the unwitting triumph of four aged animals who join together to create a band, foil a gang of robbers, and end up finding themselves a home. Zwerger's illustrations convey both poignancy and sly humor. A full-page, skillful portrait introduces each animal character, while at the top, spot art depicts their plights. The weariness of each elderly creature is plaintive, and Zwerger makes clear visually how the robbers might mistake the animals sitting atop each other for a monster. However, at the most dramatic moment of the story, when one of the robbers returns to the house to confront the sleepy animals inside, Zwerger leaves the details to readers' imaginations, using only shadowy gray figures to portray the literal action that occurs. Unlike Ilse Plume's sunny interpretation, this new version of the Grimm story focuses on how the four old creatures, despite their Quixote-like quest to become musicians, end up finding contentment anyway. Bell's translation adheres closely and gracefully to the original, and the theme of what might happen to those who outlive their usefulness ends on an enchanting, happy note. Ages 4-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Dark, muted colors characterize Zwerger's paintings in this classic tale of four past-their-prime animals in pursuit of happiness. Somber portraits establish the animals' gloomy existences, and the pairing of the action-packed robber scenes with the static illustrations dilutes some of the story's excitement. The ominous ending leaves readers unconvinced that the ""musicians"" live happily ever after. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Zwerger's illustrations for this favorite Grimm Brothers' tale make new the story of the geriatric animal quartet setting out for Bremen to join the town band. An aging donkey, less able to carry sacks to the mill, flees, and on the way meets three others who find themselves in a similar predicament, unable to live up to their respective masters' expectations. As readers meet each animal, its portrait effectively elicits sympathy for the rejected souls. Their mournful eyes make contact with the reader, and miniature scenes float above the portraits, illustrating their predicaments. The one black, double-paged, night scene hilariously portrays the robbers before being rousted from their house by the band of four. Endpapers include the four in playful poses and stacked in multiple totem forms. Bell's direct text and Zwerger's expressive, luscious-colored portraits are sure to endear readers to the band and offer a simply told and thoroughly appealing version for younger listeners. A happy ending for all. (Picture book/fairytale. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This version of the familiar story about the animal runaways that join together to form a band has plenty of energy and humor. Bell's spare text, faithful to the tale's traditional plot and oral heritage, lends itself easily to reading or telling aloud. Zwerger's subdued watercolors are as simple as the text, the images infused with a sophisticated naivete that lends them an air of gravitas even as they illustrate the story's slapstick episodes. Nearly all of the spreads have a similar layout: a full-page illustration on the recto and a text box on the verso, with the occasional spot art on the text page to enliven the clean, white space. The palette is primarily cool and crisp; almost every image, however, contains sparks of red and orange that help focus the eye. Comparative folktale collections will welcome this variant for its original visual interpretation of the classic tale. --Janice Del Negro Copyright 2007 Booklist