Woo hoo! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!
The perfect time to make a list of books and then hustle off to the library after school to set yourself up for a weekend of great reads!
The book I chose for today is one that I think fits perfectly with heading back to school where it’s so important to both be yourself and be part of the community!
Title: Pokko And The Drum
Written & Illustrated By: Matthew Forsythe
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, October 2019, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: individuality, community, persistence
Opening: “The biggest mistake Pokko’s parents ever made was giving her a drum.
They had made mistakes before.
Like the slingshot.
And the llama.
And the balloon.”
Brief Synopsis: Pokko’s parents give her a drum but quickly realize that might not have been such a great idea! Wanting a break from the noise, Pokko’s dad sends her outside. Before long, Pokko has inspired an instrument-playing following, and what started out as banging has become such a joyful noise that even her father has to admit it turned out well after all.
Links To Resources: get some friends together and make your own band – what different things can you use as an instrument? Draw a picture or write a story or poem about something that makes you who you are – do you play the drum like Pokko? do you dance or sing or play soccer? For a drum-related snack, make cupcakes for the drum and pretzel stick halves with mini marshmallows dipped in chocolate for the drumsticks!
Why I Like This Book: I love Pokko! Such a confident, poised little character! She plays her drum through the emerald forest gathering followers in a Pied Piper-esque way and plays her drum with such joy that her father goes from “We’re just a little frog family that lives in a mushroom, and we don’t like drawing attention to ourselves” to “And you know what?…I think she’s pretty good!” 😊 There is plenty of humor. Her mother is comically engrossed in reading a book throughout the whole story no matter what else is going on – even when she’s being swept away by the crowd! And a small mishap causes Pokko to tell the Wolf, “No more eating band members or you’re out of the band.” Pokko asserts her own individuality while also bringing the community together. Such a delightful book!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week! I hope it works right this week… something is hinky!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
What a fun book. I love dry humor. Oh Susanne, those cupcakes of yours are so cute, but they made me hungry!
This fresh story offers creative teaching, exploring something new, sharing gifts with others. A perfect example of how something unexpected turns out well. Thank you, Susanna, for bringing this to our attention😊. This is going on my book shelf!
Great choice for this sunny September day! Images of animals with instruments are parading through my head!
I love Pokko! And cupcakes ~ even if they come with drumsticks. What a perfect picture book!
You shared one of my favorite picture books. Pokko is a wonderfully written character and the illustrations are absolute perfection!
I haven’t read this one yet. I LOVE the part about not eating the band members. Hilarious! Thanks for the rec, Susanna! (p.s. those cupcakes look pretty sweet, too) I’m going to enter my book, but all I see is an empty form above, just so you’re aware.
I also have to comment on that slingshot misadventure. So much fun!
Looks like Pokko is a rock star. I wish someone would buy me a drum. Or a frog.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Haven’t read Pokko and the Drum, but it sounds funny and delightful! Pokko has spunk and I like how she stands up to the wolf. Lively illustrations!
Entered my book, but it doesn’t appear to show. Don’t see any other listings, but I do see the form. “Hinky” may be a good word.
One of my favorites! It’s out in PB format in Spanish too!
This is a great book. I seem to remember there was a subversive element somewhere…
Love this book! Thanks for sharing it, Susannah. By the way, I posted in the Google form but I don’t see anything coming up. Did I do something wrong? I’ll try it again.
Looks AdOrAbLe; I will totally be looking for the Spanish version.
This is a great selection for PPBF!! I have not read this PB but I will certainly do so! Pokko’s story is humorous. It also teaches valuable lessons about being yourself along with being part of a group! 🙂
Great book, Susanna! And I also don’t see the list of links for other Perfect Picture Book Friday reviews, although I did add mine. I guess the linky list is being wonky.
Yes, something is very wrong. Last week I was able to at least find where people had added their links. This time I can’t find anything 😦 Not sure what’s wrong but I better figure it out lickety-split!