Two Sticks

Maybelle loves/lives percussion, but her parents won't buy her an actual drum, so she beats out a rhythm on everything in sight-- with two sticks . When her parents protest, she runs outside to the swamp, where her tapping gets her in deep trouble--but it also saves the day, as the menacing crocodiles are mesmerized by her catchy beat. "She played a toothy dance tune/ A crocodile romance tune/ A keep-them-in-a-trance tune/ A please-give-me-a-chance tune!" Her parents are finally impressed by her skills:... "So Maybelle got a real drum--a big calypso steel drum/ a musical, ideal drum/ a pinging, swinging-feel drum!" Clever, unusual rhymes and a conga beat, matched with lively illustrations, capture Maybelle's exuberance and passion for music. This tale will inspire some great storytimes and music classes -- some budding musicians, too! And the message -- that sometimes a child's annoying fixations can lead to great happiness--is one parents need to hear more often.

Orel Protopopescu's TWO STICKS features whimsical alligator drawings by Anne Wilsdorf as it tells of Maybelle, who wants some drumming noise but only has two sticks to produce a rhythm with. Undaunted, she defies tired parents and runs off to practice her beat in the world, eventually falling into a swamp where alligators pick up the rhythm and action.

It's a very, very good book. It had a great beat. And the pictures were great. I liked when Maybelle stopped the crocodiles from eating her by playing her sticks on their teeth. Funny! I recommend this book for moms and kids to read together, and dads can do it too. Casey Castrovilla, age 7 (proofread by his mom)

I read Two Sticks to my preschool class of four and five- year- old children this morning and they loved it. I used two rhythm sticks and beat out the rhythm while I read the book aloud. I paused to let them examine the pictures closely. They loved the parade back to her house in particular so on our way to the playroom (our next activity) I pretended that I was Maybelle playing the sticks while they all pretended they were the crocodiles parading behind Maybelle. Later we acted out the story taking turns with the rhythm sticks. It was a very successful story time. The illustrations are exciting and colorful and Maybelle is a very appealing heroine. The language moves to the beat and is fun to read aloud. Maybelle's saga has the feel of jazz poetry. I highly recommend it to parents and teachers alike.

This is the vibrant story of Maybelle, whose love for drumming touches everyone she meets. Even crocodiles can't resist her music. From the very beginning to the very end, the rhythms, rhymes and pictures make this story grand fun. Inventive strings of words keep you tapping along with Maybelle's passion for the beat, and the illustrations keep you chuckling all through this book. I loved reading it aloud -- and to myself!