The Little Drummer Mouse
Kindergarten-Grade 3–The forest animals are told to get ready for the arrival of a royal family and the birth of a baby who will be the greatest king of all. Meanwhile, the little mouse plays on his acorn drum, too small and insignificant to take part in the preparations. When nobody shows up but a poor man and woman riding on a donkey, the animals assume that the royal family have changed their plans and go back to their homes. The little mouse, however, follows a bright star and encounters three kings who are looking for the stable. The small creature directs them and finds the baby and his humble parents surrounded by adoring shepherds and animals. The shepherds play a tune on their flutes, and the little mouse accompanies them on his drum. This retelling of the legend of the little drummer boy is too long for most group read-aloud occasions. While fans of Mayer's work will enjoy the anthropomorphic animals, Ezra Jack Keats'sThe Little Drummer Boy(Puffin, 2000) is still the best choice for most library collections.–Virginia Walter, University of California, Los AngelesCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.