The pied piper, adapted and illustrated by Ayesha L Rubio

Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760400477
(Age: 4+) Fairy tale. Pied Piper. Responsibility. Rats. Reconciliation. Cautionary Tale. A quite different telling of the story of the Pied Piper is told with stunning watercolour illustrations. Rats have taken over the town of Hamelin and the Piper, hearing of their plight, offers to help. The Mayor is so enthralled that he offers him three sacks of gold. The Piper plays his pipe and the rats follow him out of the city, but when the Piper returns to take his reward, the Mayor refuses him. He discusses the problem with the rats, who are by now his new friends, and they return to the town and let the children know of the Mayor's duplicity. The children decide to leave the town and not return until the debt is paid. The parents finding their children's beds empty, demand the Mayor leave, and go to the vaults to find the money to pay the piper. Another twist to the usual story adds a level of reconciliation to the already loved cautionary tale of paying your debts. I love the humorous impressions of the town and the rats, and the Mayor looks so oily!
Fran Knight