There is much to praise in this retelling of Browning's classic poem. The book is a small masterpiece of design, from the rat-interlaced vines on the endpapers to the fine quality of the paper. The detailed black-and-white illustrations evoke the despair and delight of the citizens of Hamelin with Kate Greenaway's classic illustrations, using touches of humor and action.

Robert Browning (1812-1889) first published his poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin, A Child's Story" in 1842, based on an old German legend which may or may not have had some basis in historical fact. Browning was a serious poet; even in a poem filled with playful rhymes written specifically for children, he did not "dumb down" his language, but expected his readers to do a little work in understanding some of his "big words."