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"The Bremen Town Musicians" by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm

Author:

Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm

Illustrator:

Lisbeth Zwerger

Publisher:

Penguin Young Readers Group, 2007

Reviewed by:

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, Wis.

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. The Bremen Town Musicians. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. Translated by Anthea Bell. Penguin Young Readers Group. 2007.

Lizbeth Zwerger’s colorful drawings take the reader back in time with a misty sense of long ago. Soon to be abandoned (or worse) by their owners, a donkey, dog, cat and rooster set off together to the town of Bremen to become musicians. On their way they find the need for food and comfortable shelter, and discover a robber’s house. The animals devise a plan to frighten off the robbers. They succeed in not only scaring them off, but also keeping the robbers away for good.

The layout of the book makes excellent use of white space on the text page and wispy color in the illustrations opposite. Particularly innovative are the picture “thoughts” of the animals as they contemplate their fates with their owners and plan their encounter with the robbers. Although other renditions of this story are equally beautiful, Lisbeth Zwerger’s pictorial interpretation proves sometimes less is more when telling a story with pictures. An excellent addition to any picture book collection, particularly if your only version of this story is in a minimally illustrated anthology.

Kristine Wildner,
Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, WI