The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The townsfolk of Hamelin, Germany, as presented in Lemieux's ( What's That Noise? ) mannered oil paintings, are a sharp-featured, unsavory-looking lot. And appearances do not deceive: greedy and selfish, they spend most of their time eating and drinking, and they believe that ``their children only take up time and cause trouble.'' But trouble acquires new meaning when, on the day before Christmas in 1283, thousands of rats invade the town, raiding holiday feasts and eating everything in sight, including ``pillows, books, buttons, chairs and tables.'' They even ``bit people in bed so that no one could sleep.'' Lemieux does justice to this timeless tale with a sprightly text and arresting illustrations. Exaggerated proportions and skewed perspectives nod at the medieval setting; the stern interiors of Hamelin are decorated in muted tones, while carnival-like colors highlight scenes featuring the Pied Piper. An endnote summarizes the historical event behind the legend and also offers various interpretations of the disappearance of the Hamelin kinder . All ages. (Aug.)