Little Jamari loves the sound of the great village drum and often sits at drummer Baba's feet. "Why do you play every day?" he asks. "The drum is the keeper of peace in the village," Baba replies. Time passes and many of the village elders pass on. One day Jamari agrees to take over the beating of the drum, to keep the peace. But little by little, he forgets his promise until disaster looms. What will Jamari do to bring back peace? Featuring acclaimed artist Baba Diakité's gorgeous illustrations, Jamari's Drum offers a simple, compelling lesson about duty and the greater good.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4–Done primarily in earth tones, Diakité's characteristic paintings on glazed tiles bring the African village setting to life. Young Jamari lives at the base of a mountain, Chafua. He often sits in the village square, listening to Baba Mdogo play the great djembe. The man tells him that the drum is "the keeper of peace," warning of the dire consequences should he not play it. Years later, Baba selects Jamari as his successor, saying: "You must beat this drum for Chafua everyday.… The village depends on it." Not understanding the full scope of his responsibility, Jamari nonetheless accepts the instrument. Time passes, and new ways replace the old ones. Jamari marries and has children, and eventually stops playing the drum. Then Chafua erupts, and he suddenly remembers Baba's warning. He retrieves the djembe and begins beating it furiously. Miraculously, the lava flow reverses itself, and he never again forgets his duty. The beautifully executed, folk-style artwork swirls with bold lines and bright patterns, incorporating backgrounds that blend earth tones with the blues and purples of the sky. Although a glossary of Swahili words is appended, pronunciation guidelines are given only for "djembe," which is unfortunate because this book makes an excellent read-aloud. Pair it with other stories about drums and the messages that they can send, such as Romare Bearden's Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story (S & S, 2003) and J. Alison James's The Drums of Noto Hanto (DK, 1999; o.p.).–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Love this book!!,
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This review is from: Jamari's Drum (Hardcover)
This is a terrific book for every library of every person. It's a great resource for librarians and music teachers because you can use it as an interactive lesson by recreating the drum sounds from the book on drums and percussion. My kids love it the best!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great gift for every family,
By
This review is from: Jamari's Drum (Hardcover)
This is a beautifully written and illustrated children's story. It makes for fun read-aloud and is well-suited for group environments (e.g. classrooms, day care centers, family gatherings) and ripe with possibilities for performative interpretations. The book provides a narrative with an important role for the collaboration of children and elders as peace-keepers. The story has something to offer the whole community in its vision. If you want your children and family to share in the spirit of healing djembe rhythms, buy this book.
1.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jamari's Drum (Hardcover)
I was surprised and disappointed that this book is from a library in another state. I wanted to use it in my classroom but think it is not a good idea for students to see all the other library's markings. I thought I was receiving a regular used book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
JAMARI was a young man who lived in a village at the base of Chafua, a large mountain. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baba Mdogo, Kubwa Chapa New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
JAMARI was a young man who lived in a village at the base of Chafua, a large mountain. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baba Mdogo, Kubwa Chapa New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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