The Little Drummer Boy

Beautiful artwork and a bonus with the song, music and lyrics, at the end. It was exactly what I was looking for and more than I expected.

This book's exotic pictures and mesmerizing tune holds my son's attention through several reads. Although the age recommendation is for older children, I think you'll find that younger children (my son's 23 months) enjoy the rhythm and the pictures enough to make it an instant favorite. I also appreciate that beloved Christmas personalities are depicted with darker skin and clothing that is not Western.

We like all of Keats' books, they are simple, yet powerful. This one is wonderful and not just for Christmas!! We read it at the library and had to buy a copy!

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats is a beautifully illustrated book with the words to the popular Christmas song. Each page contains only one or two lines of the song and so is perfect for younger children. The song is about a little boy who is told to bring a gift for the birth of Jesus, but he replies "Baby Jesus, I am a poor boy, too" and so he plays his drum for him instead. This is a simple story about giving from the heart. Singing the words is a perfect way to interest a reluctant child in books and also perfect to coax reluctant dads (or mums) to sing to their children. The music is written out at the end of the story if you aren't familiar with the tune but it would be easier to listen out for it at Christmas. This book is one the most requested in our household and, of course, we sing it all year long.