Gum on the Drum, with Book

I bought this for my now-34 mo. old son this last Christmas, as he is a passionate drummer/percussionist at this age already. He LOVES this book. He's already reading it with me and can "read" it himself, just by looking at the pages. The illustrations are phenomenal and quite humorous and after reading it umpteen times now, he and I both *just* saw details we'd never seen before the other night; they allow for so much to talk about with your child. This book makes me want to get more in the Start to Read series.

This is one of the first books my daughter could read by herself (not counting theBob Books Set 1-Beginning Readers, of course). She is reading harder books now but still goes back to it for a confidence boost (and for a good laugh). The book has very few words, so most 4 or 5 year olds will partially memorize it after the first few readings. This book will probably not interest kids over age 5 because it is more of a picture book. Also, if you have a very tiny child, you might want to "save" this book so that it is new when they are first learning to read! The pictures are fascinating and funny. The details continue to start discussions (even after the 30th or so reading). Also, the book is short so early readers can finish the book without getting restless. Have fun! P. Gould, co-author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family

I bought this for my son when he was 18 months along with a lot of other popular first readers. This book and most of the books in the same line are very entertaining compared to the other first readers. The illustrations are detailed enough to discuss and the stories are really funny. It is so much fun to read these books to my son because he can join in with the words and discuss the pictures. He also reads them to his teddy bears. 9 months later I find myself buying second copies of books in the series because they are so worn from me reading them several times a day. :-)

It's been 18 years since I read this book to my daughter. Of all the books I used to read her, this one is the one I remember best. The story is funny, and the pictures are interesting for a small child at bedtime. I've often wondered if it were still in publication, and I'm glad to see it is. Try it out on your child, and perhaps it'll create a similar memory for you!

The pictures are really funny and so is the story. It's about a drum playing bear who wants to hum.....but he's chewing gum.... What follows are the really funny antics that happen. I really like this book. So did my son. One reason was that starter books tend to be easier to read if they rhyme....but this isn't "forced" the rhymes seem to flow naturally