This past year I was honored to be asked by long time editor, friend, and fellow author, Kelsey Byrant, to help with The Road To Bremen; her middle grade fairy-tale retelling of the Brementown Musicians.
She did such a delightful job with that tale, and the animals' personalities all really shine through, and definitely made me laugh as well as touched some poignant nerves while reading through their adventures.
Working with her was especially fun, since she'd already done a lot of the visual research for her setting and era, and we were able to showcase some local breeds and plants as our illustration models.
Their lives are saved by a dream.
But only friendship can make that dream a reality.
Once upon a time..
Etzel the donkey is getting old, but he works hard on his farm—until the day Herr Hoffman decides he is no longer worth keeping. With no choice but to escape, Etzel sets off on the road to Bremen to seek his fortune as a musician. On the way, he rescues three other animals—a dog, a cat, and a rooster—who are also old and destined for death.
Will these four new friends find their success and worth as musicians in Bremen? Or does the road hold something better?
Based on “The Bremen Town Musicians” from the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Ideal for kids from 7 to 11 years old, but great for all those young at heart.
Author Bio:
Kelsey Bryant lives in Central Texas, but being one-quarter German, she’s always wanted to visit Germany. Bogged down during the crafting of a much longer book, Kelsey started writing a retelling of one of her favorite fairy tales, “The Bremen Town Musicians,” to resuscitate her creativity. She rather liked the result.
Kelsey
is the author of the Six Cousins series and Suit and Suitability, part
of the Vintage Jane Austen series. The Road to Bremen is her first book
for children. Besides writing fiction, Kelsey is a copyeditor, a martial arts
instructor, and an avid student of the Bible. Visit her at kelseybryantauthor.com or on her blog, Kelsey’s Notebook.
Links:
Paperback
available now, e-book available for pre-order, releasing on February 22.
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