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Drum City

by Vanessa Brantley Newton
32p. 978-1-58246-308-7.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2 The creation of Drum City starts in the yard of one small boy beating on a large pot with a whisk and spoon. Other children quickly arrive, carrying a variety of items that converge into a "frolicking, rollicking ruckus of rumbling drums." As the band marches down the street, adults perk up their ears to listen. Soon young and old join the rhythmic parade that celebrates the multiethnic connections of people making music together. Newton's exuberant cartoonlike Photoshop illustrations capture the faces and movements of the participants. Guidone's jaunty text needs to be read aloud, although advance practice is recommended to master the tongue twisting required in some sections. Expect listeners to clamor for drums of their own.-"Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
"Boy in the yard / drumming so hard, / calling all kids / to come drum in the yard." Scores of kids then adults grab "bowls and buckets," etc., for this city-wide percussive parade. The occasionally awkward rhyming text invites audience participation. Featuring a diverse crowd, the digital illustrations manage to look both retro and contemporary and match the text's energy.

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