Musicians Of Bremen, The: A Tale From Germany

by Jane Yolen, John Segal (Illustrator)

A tongue-in-cheek retelling of a favorite folktale follows the adventures of Donkey, Dog, Cat, and Rooster, four worn-out farm animals who seek their fortunes as musicians and find a comfortable robber's den in the woods.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 1996

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Jane G Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-known tale--silly and dotted with adventure. What drew me to this book is the simple, yet whimsical illustrations. I knew Jane Yolen's storytelling would be good, but I really delighted in the feel and look of this small, hardbound book.

Published in 1996, you probably can't find too many copies on the bookstore shelves, but if you like this tale, I'm betting finding a copy on Amazon would be easy. It'd make a great little birthday gift coupled with a stuffed donkey or dog, or maybe a toy drum :)

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donkey, Dog, Cat, and Rooster leave their homes and start walking to Bremen to become musicians. Soon, they become tired and hungry. They come by a house, the perfect place to rest, except that inside are some mean-looking robbers. The four animals come up with a way to scare the robbers out. The animals then take over the house when the robbers are scared away.

[Carol Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland, but true to the original.