Kim L. Siegelson

This poetically-written book tells a tale of resiliency and the importance of holding on to one's roots. Unlike some other picture books about this topic that I've read, 'In the Time of Drums' manages to convey the realities slavery while still remaining an appropriate book for young readers. Moreover, this beautiful story is one not of the ways in which black people were broken by this appalling practice but instead of the ways in which African traditions were preserved for generations show more after those people who became the first slaves were ripped from their homelands. show less

Based on an old Gullah legend, 'In The Time of Drums' is an inspirational tale which takes place during the time of slavery and African slave ships completing the middle passage. The story revolves around grandmother Twi and her young grandson Mentu. Mentu is too young to work in the fields so Twi takes this opportunity to teach him how to play the goatskin drums and chant the songs she grew up with in Africa. Mentu was born on Gullah, so she is instilling her history into him which he will show more then pass on to his children and so on for generations to come. I chose to make the target audience grades 3-6 because the abstract concept of people choosing suicide over slavery may be difficult for younger children to grasp. show less

Mentu is being taught by Twi the ways of their culture in Africa. She teaches him stories, songs, and secrets. This book did a great job at portraying the horrors of slavery while also keeping it mild enough for a child to still be able to read and understand. The illustrations were amazing. I loved the visible brush strokes of the the paint used to color many of the illustrations. For any child who is unfamiliar with the history of slavery, this book would be a perfect educational show more experience to introduce to them a portrait of the history behind it. This book shows the importance of how culture is linked to identity. Throughout the story, Mentu is taught not to let the harsh inequalities of slavery erase his culture. Eventually he takes on the role of Twi after he grows older. When overcoming overwhelming odds, it is essential to come together, share, and never forget where you came from! show less

"In the Time of the Drums", it is about a little boy named Mentu and his Grandmother Twi living on a plantation as slaves. Twi has been in Mentu's life since the day he was born and has taken care of him ever since. She loved him "like her own soul" and taught him how to be independent for when he had to be "strong-strong" on his own one day. Twi noticed how the other slaves were forgetting their African roots and made sure to sing old songs and tell old stories from her homeland to help show more inform Mentu of his roots and to not let this culture be forgotten anymore than it already has. One day, a slave ship shows up to the island where they live, making everyone initially think it was only goods being delivered. The slaves on the ship thought they were going back to Africa, but they had a rude awakening when they realized they were only being transported to do slave work. When they come to this conclusion, the slaves come together on the boat and sing a song that Mentu recognizes as one of Twi's songs that she would sing to him. Twi then tells Mentu that he now has to be "strong-strong" while she goes away with her "brothers and sisters" and take them "home." They all walk hand-in-hand into the water together, while Mentu looks on from afar. The story then fast forwards to when Mentu is an adult with children of his own. He sings the songs and tells the stories to his children like Twi did for him and the tradition goes on with each generation afterwards. This story is a very informative and great read for a child that has already been introduced to the history of slavery. It shows the special and happy bond between two family members during a very sad and emotional time in history. Even though there was darkness, they found a light in each other and in their own culture.
While the story is very inspirational, the illustrations help portray that as well. This Coretta Scott King Awarded book showcases amazing line work, bright colors, and contrast. Each stroke in the art work is seen and it shows how many layers of lines went into the drawing. It looks as if the illustrations started off as a layer of black with bright colors drawn on top, making every detail pop and the contrast look beautiful. Also, the softness and color choice of the sunsets in the background of every page really makes the characters come to life and delivers the bond between family through the reality of slavery. show less