My qualifications: I used to live 4km from Hameln ("Hamelin", Anglicized), Germany! It's near Hanover, if you're looking on a map. Regardless, I was happy to find this treasure. This is the most vividly illustrated version I've seen.The illustrations are splendid, & the book is nice & large. After seeing ANATOLY IVANOV's illustrations, other versions just don't do the story justice. The text is printed in what i would decribe as "default" calligraphic italic, adding to its charm, if not its "authenticity". I give it a big 5 RATS!

This book would be a wonderful treasure for the pictures alone. Kate Greenaway, noted children's illustrator, has created a magical world of beautiful children, innocent faces, and romantic, nostalgic costumes. The colors on these pages are breathtaking, and the details (although Greenaway is always faulted for not drawing hands and feet well) are superb. This story is not for very young children, as it contains some troublesome themes. For the older child, perhaps 7+, the story might provoke some interesting post-read family discussions about honesty, trust, and the actual state of the children at the end of the tale. This is even a beautiful book to give to adults, as the messages about human nature can be appreciated on a deeper level.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a very different children's classic. Few other children's picture books tell a story in Victorian poetry. The book isn't just original; it is excellent. I have always enjoyed Robert Browning's poetry, and this is no exception. I was surprised at how easy it was to read this book compared to some of Browning's other verse, and it was pleasing to read, especially considering that this is focused toward children. I loved all of the poetic techniques used by Browning. His iambic tetrameter in couplets works very well for young readers, and I loved his use of anaphora and internal rhyme. The story is, of course, brilliant. It is the usual folk tale that every child has heard and needs to hear. It teaches its lesson, and Browning's version is even more entertaining than other versions. Also, the illustrations by Kate Greenway are fabulous. It is impossible to imagine this story in Browning's Victorian verse without Greenway's Victorian artistry. This is a true children's classic, it should definately last for years to come, and it makes and excellent buy for children or for libraries.

This book has adorable illustrations of Victorian children, and there is a poem for every day of the year. For each date, there are blanks to fill in the names of your loved ones, so that you can have a reminder of upcoming birthdays. I received this book from my Grandmother in 1978, and recently found it among items at my mother's house. My 5 year old daughter loves looking at this book, and having me read the text according to the birthdates of significant family and friends. I am enjoying reading the names of children and family I knew "way back when". I plan to continue entering the birthdays of people in my life now, as my memory could use a little jolt now and again! This book will surely be a keepsake for many, many years!

These really hold up, and needleworkers will be rewarded, especially as redwork embroidery (for which these designs are perfect) is enjoying a renewed popularity these days. Interestingly, the Greenaway designs, although certainly sweet, aren't nearly as sugary as later ones that were based on her widespread & influential designs.

This is a fun book to read if you like symbolism, and even if you don't, it's fun to read the poems in the back. In this, almost every flower, clover and herb has a meaning and just about any flower you can you'll find in here. The illustrations are sweet, and this is a great reference if you're looking for something sentimental to give a friend.

i read this book for my English class. i think that this book is the most beautiful book i ever read. the colors, the style, the format all come to play together. it is a very good book for children to read and to enjoy the folk tales.

This coloring book has beautiful pictures drawn from the artwork of Kate Greenaway. Adults and older children will enjoy the detailed work necessary for coloring these Mother Goose rhymes. The format lends itself to colored pencils rather than crayons due to the fineness of the artwork. The drawings evoke a bygone era which would be appreciated more by a more mature audience. Younger children would doubtless enjoy a simpler Mother Goose to color than that presented in this coloring book.

Great book. I expected alot from something with Kate Greenaways work and I was not disappointed. This colouring book isn't for the little ones, but more of an appeal for the bigger kids...my teenager and I are already choosing which pages we want to do. I love them.