Drums of Noto Hanto [Hardcover]

J. Alison James (Author)

Book Description

Each year a festival is held on the sea coast of Japan, commemorating a true event of 1576; this beautiful picture book presents the history, then and now.... In a story that cries out to be performed, the people of Nabune Japan, on the Noto Hanto coast, cleverly save their village from invading samurai by frightening the enemy away with masks and fires on the beach and...drums. From their ships the samurai believe that evil spirits are attacking them, but it is a marvelous trick that children will recognize as one they might play. And here is a glory of this dramatic book: It invites play and participation. Small and giant drum sounds -- titi tiki, Podo pada Poda pada, Ko to Ko to, DON kada DON kada DON DON DON -- pervade the telling. Children will join in. Another glory is the artwork, cut-paper "paintings" unlike any you've seen; they seem to swell with sound themselves, conveying the beauty of seaside landscape, the high-spirited action of the characters, the drama of the facts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Strikingly handsome cut-paper illustrations, reminiscent of David Wisniewski's work, light up the pages of this dramatic picture book, based on a historical incident in ancient Japan. From the opening image of a drum that protrudes onto the spread as theatrically as the nearby isles erupting from the Sea of Japan, this tale will grab readers' attention. The villagers of Noto Hanto mark each change of season with the playing of the drums. But when a covetous warlord threatens to invade the town, the drums take on a new role. As samurai warriors approach, the villagers join forces to scare off their attackers with bonfires, monster masks fashioned from bark and seaweed, and drums that "boomed like thunderADON kada DON kada DON DON DON!" James (Sing for a Gentle Rain) parades a series of verbal images as colorful as they are powerful (e.g., the village "points upward like a thumb into the Sea of Japan"), and her skillful use of onomatopoeia conveys the differing timbres and types of drums. The text exudes a palpable energy that will spark inspired read-aloud sessions. Tsukushi's artwork matches the intensity of the prose with fluidity of line and complexity of composition. A samurai battleship sails against a blood-red sky, masked villagers dance wildly by firelight and drummers sit in a circle concentric with the edge of the globe and the drum as they beat for their livesAthe vividness of the spreads is nothing short of hypnotic. Wit triumphs over will in this splendid picture book. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-A simply yet powerfully told tale of underdogs who triumph not by brawn but by courage and ingenuity. In 1576, the people of Nabune, a prosperous village on the Noto Hanto peninsula in Japan, hear that the warlord Kenshin is coming with several shiploads of samurai to attack them. Having few weapons, they decide to try and trick their enemy. They gather all of the drums in the village, from the smallest to the giant Taiko, which takes eight men to play it. They build bonfires and make monster masks from bark and seaweed. When the ships approach the shore, the villagers don their masks, light their fires, beat their drums, and dance in a frenzy until at last the samurai sail away, never to return. The suspense that builds as the drums crescendo will have young listeners riveted. Tsukushi's cut-paper illustrations capture the time, place, and mood of the story. A unique and interesting tale.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789425742
• ISBN-13: 978-0789425744
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read-aloud fun!, December 10, 2003

By 

T. Hall "mom2special1" (PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drums of Noto Hanto (Hardcover)

This book BEGS to be read aloud. If you love to make loud, interesting noises while you read to your child, you will love this book - if not, you won't like it. It's the story of an ancient village that was to be attacked by an army of samurai warriors, and how they worked together to ward off the threat. The loud noises come about because the villagers have quite a love of drums - drums of many kinds, and the noises of each drum are woven throughout the book. "Don kada-ka, Don kada-ka, don-da, Don-Da, Don-Da, DON!" Very exciting! The book is also illustrated with cut paper designs - the incredible detail is inspiring to those of us who use die-cuts in our scrapbooks.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Music teacher needs this!, May 8, 2008

By 

Jean Raphael - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Drums of Noto Hanto (Hardcover)

If you teach music, drumming, or multi-cultural lessons at an elementary level, you will adore this book. I borrowed it from the library because it was a story from Japan and found that I could use it as a music lesson. And the story is a good one with lots of teaching moments. Then of course I had to buy it because I'll use it every year. Loved it!