J. Alison James

Great illustrations out of cut paper, and the Auld Japan story with the villagers tricking/chasing off the samurai is a good one, and there are many oppotunities to make drum sounds but imho too many little tikitikitiks and too few big resonant DOMs.

In Noto Hanto, Japan the villagers played drums for each change of the season. One day news spread that an army was coming by sea to the village. The villagers gathered all the weapons they had, but it was not enough. An old man told the people to get the drums, and when the army arrived they began playing. As they were playing the drums, the children, who were wearing frightening masks started dancing and running around. The adults also began to make masks of their own, and began dancing show more around the fires they set on the beach. Then the samurai, scared, left the village. show less

Henry LOVED this book!!