THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN

This Canadian artist's simple retelling is accessible if not especially distinguished. But her vigorous oil paintings—with a pleasing palette of rosy brick, periwinkle blue, and more delicate greens—bring new life to the familiar tale. The villagers' horror of the waves of rats is caricatured with a sly, nicely understated humor; the piper is nicely raffish and mysterious; and the limning of both settings and figures has an appropriately medieval flavor. An attractive additional version; the elegant type style, perfectly in harmony with the angularity of the illustrations, is particularly felicitous. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-9