One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers [Hardcover]

Roseanne Thong (Author), Grace Lin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

This lively concept book shows that the world around us is filled with things to count. Three are the dim sum carts filled with yummy treats, eight are the candles on a birthday cake, and ten are the bamboo stalks growing in a garden. Many of the featured objects are Asian in origin, but all are universal in appeal. With brilliantly colored illustrations, an ear-pleasing text and an informative glossary, this truly multicultural book will make counting a fun part of every child's day!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–The Chinese-American girl introduced in Round Is a Mooncake (2000) and Red Is a Dragon (2001, both Chronicle) counts her favorite things. In bouncy verse, she engages in activities with her multicultural friends and family: "Five are the fish balls/on a stick./Five are the fingers/that I lick." Some of the items are Asian in origin (dragon boat, dim sum carts, bamboo) and others, like her Dalmatian puppy, are not. Most of the objects are quite distinct and easy to count, thanks to Lin's characteristically simple, uncluttered, gouache illustrations. A glossary gives two-sentence explanations for the Asian elements, from Eight Immortals to mahjong tiles, adding versatility and ethnic interest to the book without intruding on its simplicity. While the concept is not a new one, the presentation has enough freshness, clarity, and gorgeous traditional Chinese colors to make it enormously engaging.–Liza Graybill, Worcester Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. Besides offering a little practice in counting from 1 to 10, this colorful picture book introduces aspects of traditional Chinese culture. Each double-page spread includes a large, horizontal painting illustrating a rhyme such as "Four are the friends / who play mahjong / Four are the songbirds / that chirp along." Not all the activities shown are distinctively Asian, and a multicultural crew of children are the participants. The rhymes provide a pleasing framework for the book, and Lin's striking artwork gives it great visual appeal. Bold, black outlines define the forms, while the vibrant colors and decorative patterns bring them to life. On the last page, Thong discusses topics mentioned in the text, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, dim sum, and the Eight Immortals. An appealing counting book, particularly for Chinese American children who want to learn a little about their heritage. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811837726
• ISBN-13: 978-0811837729
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Counting Masterpiece (Roger Hackett Author: Ryan and Robbie's Bike Ride Adventure and Lao Lao's Chinese secrets, August 31, 2009

By 

Roger - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers (Hardcover)

One is a drummer is a Cultural Counting Masterpiece.
The book rhymes wonderfully and eloquently matches superb illustrations to the beautifully written story.
Roseanne Thong, truly captures a fun and beautiful story while teaching very important concept -- Numbers.
Moreover, One is a drummer goes far beyond a niche book that relates asian culture.

The active story with dragon boats will appeal to boys and girls around the world.
It is always a great challenge to find a story that will appeal broadly and yet have a rich cultural message.
Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin do this perfectly.
I recommend this book to anyone who has children, it is a must read!
If you can only buy one book about numbers-- One is a drummer is that book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars one, January 17, 2006

By 

Joel Bangilan (San Antonio, Tx United States of America) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers (Hardcover)

One is a Drummer is a fine counting book that could have been even more useful had it numerals and Chinese characters for the numbers. Although lacking in this aspect as a counting book, Thong does not limit herself to just a Chinese experience, she encompasses the Chinese - American childhood. She includes dragon boats and fish balls images that are characteristically Chinese, but rather than limit herself to things that are just Chinese, she is open to the other things about childhood such as dancing in the sprinklers and puppies. Grace Lin's unassuming illustrations are deceivingly simple in that bold definite lines block in complex patterns. This is a well-crafted book. The author and illustrator collaborated well to produce a nice counting book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One is a Drummer, June 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers (Hardcover)

Uses bright, colorful illustrations, a lively text, and a multicultural theme to count numbers from 1 to 10. My 2.5 year old daughter discovered this book a couple weeks ago and has asked for it repeatedly. She loves the pictures and rhyming text.