Reviews for The Steel Pan Man of Harlem (Carolrhoda Picture Bks Series)

The average rating for The Steel Pan Man of Harlem (Carolrhoda Picture Bks Series) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-07-13 00:00:00 Mike Hopkins Colin Bootman's story is based on a retelling of Browning's "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," a poem that impressed him when he heard it in the school library at age seven. The piper is recast as a steel drum player, and the enchantment, once the rats are gone, is cast on adults, not children. A bright, almost garish color palette helps to underscore that this is fantasy, in the scenes of 1930s or 40s Harlem folks, white and black, dancing and being unable to stop. I wished that my father were still alive to share this one with me. As a public health official, he chaired our city's rat control program for several years. He also especially liked Colin Bootman's illustrations, and he would have enjoyed the humorous portrayals of the rats.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-03-08 00:00:00 Sara Taylor My niece and nephew both liked this retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin (although I was surprised to learn that neither of them are familiar with the original story). With its Caribbean meets Harlem Renaissance vibe, The Steel Pan Man was a unique spin on an old classic. The pictures in this book gave us a fun blend of silly alongside realism, and they were beautifully rendered, and full of movement and color. At first I thought the pictures were too dark. It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through that I realized that I was wearing my sunglasses rather than my normal glasses! Poor old crazy Auntie. What those children must think of me.