Drummer Boy
PreSchool-Grade 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 Long's luminous acrylic art, which gives a real sense of scale and place. On a cold winter's day, a little toy drummer boy in a snappy red uniform mysteriously appears on a child's 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 grandfather's 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 LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.