The Hero of Bremen Author:Margaret Hodges Gr. 3-6. This moving legend within a legend tells of Hans the Cobbler, a disabled shoemaker who loves to share stories about Roland, the famous knight who saved the walled city of Bremen during the Dark Ages and who, according to Hans, will come again in time of need. The citizens of the overcrowded city need more land and hope to buy some from ... more »a wealthy countess whose nephew offers to sell them "all the land that a man can walk around in a day." But then he picks Hans to be that man. With the help of the hero Roland, who appears to Hans and stops time, the humble shoemaker is able to complete his journey, crawling on "knuckles and knee." As usual, Mikolaycak's realistic watercolor and colored pencil drawings have powerful lines, sculptural forms, and a strong narrative quality. Inspired by the varnished sixteenth-century paintings of Hans Holbein, the architectural and costume details establish the Renaissance setting. This eloquent retelling of a gentle, little-known tale honoring the chivalric virtues of service and sacrifice is all the more beautiful for its understated quality; the documentation is detailed and scholarly. A treat for reading aloud, this may lead middle-graders to stories about Roland.