Book Review of Pokko and the Drum
The Children’s Book Review
Pokko and the Drum
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Ages 4+ | 64 Pages
Publisher: Paula Wiseman Books | ISBN: 9781481480390
What to expect: Music, Forest Creatures, Being Yourself
Far away in the forest, in a small brown mushroom, lives a family of quiet frogs with a daughter named Pokko. Little froglet Pokko gets a drum (one of many mistakes her parents have made) and begins to play. ALL. THE. TIME. When her father sends her out into the forest with her drum and asks her to be quiet and not draw attention to herself, we can all guess what happens next!
Little Pokko, who loves her drum, enchants the forest creatures, big and small, to march with her and play their own songs with her and her very own drum beat.
Deeply funny for parents and delightful for children, young, hilariously expressionless Pokko goes on quite a journey. Through her parents’ rather haphazard decision to gift her a drum, Pokko learns that she is full of music and artistry and that by playing her unique song, she could inspire others to join her to light the world together. With dreamy illustrations and clipped, funny prose, Pokko and the Drum is a beautiful book to read aloud to a group. Young readers will immediately ask to hear the story again, and the gags will only become funnier with each read (and I bet they’ll make great impressions of the frogs, too!).
Pokko and the Drum hits the spot for wit and wonder—it’s sure to become a favorite for fans of Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back) and Barbara Barbieri McGrath (Five Flying Penguins).
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About the Author
Matthew Forsythe is the author-illustrator of Pokko and the Drum, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a recipient of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. He is also an illustrator for animated films and television. His credits include Adventure Time, The Midnight Gospel, and Robin Robin, a stop-motion animated musical from Aardman Animations and Netflix. Visit him at ComingUpforAir.net.
Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like Pokko and the Drum by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Music, Forest Creatures, and Being Yourself.