Drummer Boy

October 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 3-This story, a riff on The Little Drummer Boy, tugs at the heartstrings and offers a few exciting moments, despite some improbable coincidences. However, the real star here is Longs luminous acrylic art, which gives a real sense of scale and place. On a cold winters day, a little toy drummer boy in a snappy red uniform mysteriously appears on a childs doorstep. The boy loves the drummer and spends a lot of time listening to him play, but a mishap sends the little drummer on a wild adventure all around town, where he plays his drum and brings peace to every listener he comes across. Finally, the toy ends up in a cemetery, where the boy finds it near his grandfathers grave. He takes the drummer home and, filled with the Christmas spirit, places him at the feet of the baby in the Nativity scene on the mantel. A handsome, if not essential, purchase."Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
"The Steadfast Tin Soldier " meets "The Little Drummer Boy " in this original, sentimental tale that carries a wistful tone unusual in Christmas stories. A few weeks before Christmas, an unnamed boy receives a mysterious package containing a small mechanical toy soldier with a drum, which quickly becomes his favorite toy. The drummer boy accidentally falls into the trash, leading to a snowy odyssey through the city and surrounding countryside. He is carried off to other locations by an owl, a dog and a raccoon, ending up in a snow-covered cemetery. On Christmas morning the drummer boy is found by his owner when the boy visits his grandfather's grave, and the toy soldier is taken home and placed in the family's Christmas cr ' che, where he plays his best song for the Christ Child. Though the plot is a touch maudlin, Long's striking art and an extremely large trim size coalesce into a successful whole, with dramatic double-page spreads showing the transporting animals and a remarkable snowman looming large against the tiny size of the small but steadfast drummer boy. (Picture book. 4-7)

(COPYRIGHT (2008) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2008
Grades K-2 An illustrator of distinctive talent, Long ventures into the author arena with this holiday picture book based on the Christmas classic The Little Drummer Boy. In the honored tradition of lost-toy tales, Longs story unfolds when a magical figurinearegal drummer whose companionship and soulful percussion offer comfort to alonely childis accidentally cast out with the trash. The drummer boy braves a string of harrowing encounters with wildlife, a steep fall from a bell tower, and the blustery winter weather the only way he knows howby dutifully playing his drum. Captivating acrylic illustrations elevate the sometimes meditative cast of the tale with crisp winter scenes in an elegant blue and gray palette.The final pages, which show a glowing Christmas hearth and the drummer boy playing in a nativity scene before the outstretched arms of the baby Jesus, are sure to ward off any remnants of the storys winter chill.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
Parted from his owner, a toy drummer boy embarks on adventures. He plays his drum, soothing the hearts of all who hear him. After a miraculous reunion, the drummer boy plays for the Christ child in his young owner's family Nativity scene. This is a sumptuous production--larger than the usual picture book, with richly colored, detailed double-page spreads--and beautifully written.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2008
Accidentally parted from his loving child owner, a toy drummer boy embarks on a series of perilous adventures (think Hoban's Mouse and His Child or DiCamillo's Edward Tulane). He is menaced by rats in the city dump and owls in an aerie, marooned atop a bell tower, and impaled on a snowy thorn bush. Throughout, he plays his drum, soothing the hearts of all who hear him. Finally, a raccoon drops him in a cemetery, where, miraculously, he is reunited with his owner. Back at home, the child places the little drummer boy among the figures in the family's nativity scene, where he plays for the Christ child. "And the little drummer boy's heart felt warm." This is a sumptuous production -- larger than the usual picture book, with richly colored, detailed double-page spreads -- and beautifully written, but its language and theme may have more appeal to adults than to children.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)