The Travelling Musicians

Caroline M. Hallsworth is a librarian at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

Page, a Canadian poet, has updated and adapted the traditional folk tale
The Musicians of Bremen, originally attributed to the Brothers Grimm.
The essence of the tale remains unchanged. Four animals—a donkey, a
dog, a cat, and a rooster—whose owners believe that the animals are
old and have outlived their usefulness, run away from their home and
join forces as a group of musicians. The quartet travel to the city,
where they surprise and outwit a band of robbers, thus securing for
themselves a safe future.

The story is simply told and the vocabulary is contemporary. However,
at times Page seems anxious to break into verse but appears to restrain
herself and force herself back into prose. This is unfortunate, for the
book lacks the continuity of rhythm necessary for a good read-aloud
story. The illustrations are simple and support the story, but lack the
panache to attract the reader’s attention.

The Travelling Musicians is a solid retelling of a traditional tale;
however, it lacks the imagination to be a new children’s classic.