Friday, May 7, 2010

8th May




Yesterday was also the poet Robert Browning's birthday (1812 - 1889). Of course his poetry is not as relevant to children today as Michael Rosen's is, but one poem that he did write, The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a story that today's children are still fascinated by. Leapfrog and Hopscotch readers both have a simple version of this story and they are both frequently borrowed. The Brothers Grimm included this story when they recorded their tales so Browning would have known the story and then used the story to create an epic poem. It has stood the test of time because you can still find this version in picture book formats. It was illustrated by Kate Greenaway in 1888 . You can read the poem and view Greenaway's illustrations here . Also see Andre Amstutz and Drahos Zak's picture book versions, both of which use Browning's poem.

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