"Boy in the yard / drumming so hard, / calling all kids / to come drum in the yard." Leaning against a tree and beating a kettle with a spoon and whisk, a smiling young drummer seems to be in the zone, mesmerized by his own beats. An exuberant, multicultural crowd quickly gathers, and as hundreds and hundreds of kid drummers march down the streets, they turn the heads of the ho-hum passersby. No one can resist the beat of the drum, and the parade makes the world smile and join in: "People in traffic keeping the beat / on the hood and the trunk / and the bicycle seat. / Mamas in rollers / rock babies in strollers." Guidone's steadily rhythmic, rhyming text captures the allure of a beating drum, and Newton's catchy illustrations echo the cadences of people at work (plumbers drumming on pipes, a dockworker tapping a crate). The crowd parading over the arch of a globe shows the worldwide appeal of rhythm, which will start listeners tapping for sure. A great choice for an active storytime.

Boy in the yard / drumming so hard, / calling all kids / to come drum in the yard.

A driving beat powers this simple story of a boy who, merrily drumming with kitchen utensils, summons all the neighborhood kids to join him. The kids come en masse with buckets, barrels, pots, pans and anything that can make noise. The horde of drumming children marches down the city streets, disrupting the "humdrum of the city" with the rhythmic pounding of their makeshift drums. The adults in the city hear the rumbling and stop, waiting. When the kids march through the streets to their groovin' beats, everyone starts jamming with them. Suddenly, "[t]the city becomes a city of drums, / banging and clanging as everyone comes. / A summer parade, a drummer parade, / a magical bucket-and-bowl serenade / in the heart / of a city of / drums." Newton's illustrations depict a multiethnic, multigenerational cast of characters in a vibrant urban setting. This one begs to be read aloud in a music or city-sounds storytime. But be forewarned—anything even remotely drum-like will not be safe for the rest of the day. (Picture book. 4-7)

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 &4;frolicking, rollicking ruckus of rumbling drums.&4; 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&9;s exuberant cartoonlike Photoshop illustrations capture the faces and movements of the participants. Guidone&9;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