Phil Cummings

Living in a kingdom consumed by conflict between the local king and the local dragon, who has destroyed all of the forests on the mountainside, Boy is for the most part blithely unconcerned. Happy in his life with his parents, who understand his sign language, even if the villagers do not, he leads a quiet, gentle existence. Then one day he strays into the middle of a battle between the king's knights and the dragon, and being deaf, doesn't hear either side shouting at him. When he finally show more does realize where he is, his innocent question - "Why are you fighting?" - leads to some revelations that help end the conflict...

Originally published in Australia, this delightful original fairy-tale features a number of popular storytelling elements, from dragons to knights, and stars a winsome young hero who just also happens to be deaf. I found the story engaging and the artwork humorous and appealing. I appreciated the fact that Boy is able to communicate with the king, his knights and the dragons, despite not being able to speak with them directly, and I particularly liked that at the end, when his parents and the villagers are thanking him, they do so with sign language. This hints at a hopeful future in which more people learn the skills necessary to communicate with Boy. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about peacemaking and/or tales featuring deaf heroes. show less

Boom Bah! by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Nina Rycroft. Oooooh, Miss Pattie, wait 'till you see this one! This is the PERFECT picturebook for a musical storytime with toddlers. Get out your noisemakers or do a craft making shakers and drums and then read this story and watch the delight erupt.....One by one, various animals find "instruments" in the kitchen, each one with a different sound, and create a band. I foresee hours of delight with the different pots and pans, the silly sounds, and show more identifying the different animals. Plus, the story is interactive! It tells you to play louder, softer, etc. and offers the opportunity to guess what's coming next. If you offer toddler storytime at your library, you MUST have this book!

ISBN: 978-1935279228; Published January 2010 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates show less

Farm animals -- from a farmhouse mouse to full livestock -- form a marching band with traditional instruments and household implements. Phil Cummings' text is simple, well-paced, and full of interesting repetitions and onomatopoeia. There is not a great deal of narrative to work with, but Nina Rycroft's illustrations are full of movement -- the animals nearly seem to dance off the page. This would be a very versatile book for either a school or public library. The simplicity of the text show more would make it a good choice as an easy reader. Likewise, the engaging illustrations and writing style would make it a good book for storytime, especially if one had the space and time for reenactment. show less

No story, just a lot of exuberance. I'd love to read it aloud to, then act it out with, a small group. One child couldn't do much with it, and a full classroom would be just too too much.