Buy new:
-10% $17.99
Delivery Thursday, September 26
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$17.99 with 10 percent savings
List Price: $19.99
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
FREE International Returns
No Import Charges & $7.29 Shipping to Canada Details

Shipping & Fee Details

Price $17.99
AmazonGlobal Shipping $7.29
Estimated Import Charges $0.00
Total $25.28

Delivery Thursday, September 26. Order within 10 hrs 58 mins
In Stock
$$17.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$10.98
FREE International Returns
Delivery October 7 - 9
$$17.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Rafael López
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music Hardcover – Picture Book, March 31, 2015

by Margarita Engle (Author), Rafael López (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 542 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.99","priceAmount":17.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"X3Y4sLrruLdI1tIXUp6HtxyysQbk1TRbs3pPzAuoX1giXkmWxJPr2FzkfHgfJH0p73D7iOli6ioZmfEhp%2BYQSKVpfELzXtj361%2BOTNHlDtB4EeGn2G%2BT%2Fr2ksJdiKiBZAzAx7UDZSMLAgnznUpvI3w%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$10.98","priceAmount":10.98,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"98","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"X3Y4sLrruLdI1tIXUp6HtxyysQbk1TRbb6Sa7VRK2BsBePRzkSEHHSg0netbjnr1dGKQDUmqyK523TuBglt%2BkL17jMzb4x%2F%2F5EFWKJEJunWYzcg%2FFF9REOT9CFG87rnfsx1yZq4ZLBCQNxfGrG1ueiT3J8Zo3NBUL0hKGZ1rwSJPiT1EJAxMMtMuQ4KcjQmB","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons



Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    3 - 7 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    NP
  6. Dimensions
    8 x 0.38 x 10 inches
  7. Publisher
    Clarion Books
  8. Publication date
    March 31, 2015
  9. ISBN-10
    0544102290
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0544102293
  11. See all details
Next slide of product details

Frequently bought together

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
This item: Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
$17.99
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
$11.39
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion
$11.60
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1–4—The award-winning Cuban American author has made her mark on children's literature with her powerful portrayals of little-known aspects of Cuban history, often shedding light on the Afro-Cuban experience. This work is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke down traditional taboos against female drummers. López's luminous illustrations represent the island's diversity. Details of Cuba's and the protagonist's Chinese, African, Taíno, and Spanish roots are interwoven into the lyrical narrative and the vibrant acrylic paintings.

Review

"A beautiful account of a young girl's bravery and her important contribution toward gender equality in the creative arts."  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The heroine’s tenacity in the face of naysayers will inspire all dreamers, and the illustrator’s smile-inducing cameo on the last page emphasizes the universality of Millo’s story...For those looking for more nonfiction titles about female musical powerhouses." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"The text and illustrations work together beautifully here, creating a story that will imbue readers with inspiration and a yearning to make music of their own."  — Booklist

"A valuable addition to the growing library of stories about strong Latina women."  — Publishers Weekly

"With its emphasis on artistry and visual metaphor, this title bears a strong kinship with Yuyi Morales’ Viva Frida, but it also brings an accessibility that young viewers (and teachers) will appreciate."  — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Engle’s poetic text takes its cues from Zaldarriaga’s chosen instrument, its rhythm at times steadily assured and at others loose and improvisational...[E]very spread is full of motion, with some of the illustrations requiring a ninety-degree turn, as if the book itself has got to dance." — Horn Book Magazine

"Engle's poetic narrative combined with Lopez's warmly ethereal folk-art illustrations to evoke a nighttime tropical dreamscape."  — New York Times Book Review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (March 31, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0544102290
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0544102293
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ NP
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.38 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 542 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Rafael López

Rafael López

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

The illustrations created by Rafael López bring diverse characters to children’s books and he works to produce and promote books that reflect and honor the lives of all young people.

His 2018 picture book release, The Day You Begin written by Jacqueline Woodson was a New York Times #1 Children’s Picture Books Bestseller and the recipient of the 2019 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor focuses on differently abled kids working together to create a garden. The book is a #1 New York Times Children’s Picture Books Bestseller and won the American Library Association's 2020 Schneider Family Book Award.

Rafael López has received three Pura Belpré Award medals from the American Library Association for Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln (2020) Drum Dream Girl (2016) and Book Fiesta! (2010). In addition he secured three Pura Belpré honors. Upcoming illustrated books in 2022 include The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson released in January and The Little Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu due out in September.

His illustrations for Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics were honored with the 2017 Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators New York Original Art Exhibition. The book Maybe Something Beautiful based on his own work reclaiming neighborhoods with community murals secured the 2017 Tomás Rivera Book Award. Additional children's books have received three Pura Belpré honors and two Américas Book Awards for illustration.

He created a series of 54 portraits for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino. In 2022 he served as the first guest artist of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum giving workshops to children and families. He was asked by the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival Poster in 2012, an event featuring best-selling authors, poets and illustrators on the National Mall in Washington D.C. He has created thirteen stamps for the United States Postal Service.

To learn more visit rafaellopez.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_L%C3%B3pez_(illustrator_and_artist)

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
542 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story amazing, lovely, and inspiring. They appreciate the beautiful illustrations and wonderful colors. Readers describe the message as wonderful, encouraging, and positive. They also appreciate the wonderful language and dazzling rhyme.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Story qualityVisual qualityMessageLanguageAge range
33 customers mention "Story quality"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the story amazing, lovely, and inspiring. They say it's a good story to encourage kids to make a difference. Readers also describe the book as cute, delightful, and a pleasure to read.

"...And the story is wonderful. I was surprised to learn at the end that it is a true story which made it even more special." Read more

"...This book is also great for homeschooling, and just pleasure reading. I love this story and the fact that it is based on a true story...." Read more

"Beautiful story on a girl who wanted to play drums and had to go against cultural norms to do so...." Read more

"...love a story book that is also appealing to me, and the simple story line is lovely, and the artwork is totally amazing, I can't believe this did..." Read more

16 customers mention "Visual quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's visual quality great. They mention it has beautiful illustrations and wonderful colors.

"...It has since of the most beautiful art work i've ever seen in a children's book. And the story is wonderful...." Read more

"...to me, and the simple story line is lovely, and the artwork is totally amazing, I can't believe this did not win a Caldecott..." Read more

"This book is beautiful and tells an amazing story...." Read more

"Durable cover and beautiful illustrations. Positive and inspiring story, especially since it's true...." Read more

9 customers mention "Message"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the message wonderful, inspiring, and positive for young girls. They say it promotes courage, uniqueness, and culture. Readers also mention the book has a durable cover and beautiful illustrations.

"...It allows a teacher to build it into a curriculum that promotes courage, uniqueness, and culture...." Read more

"Durable cover and beautiful illustrations. Positive and inspiring story, especially since it's true...." Read more

"...the focus and achieving dreams despite cultural obstacles is a wonderful message." Read more

"...can it be a book that promotes multiculturalism, it also promotes confidence in young girls to pursue their dreams...." Read more

6 customers mention "Language"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the language wonderful, dazzling, and imaginative. They say the words read like a sweet evening. Readers also mention the book is a great invitation to read with expressions.

"...playing the drums!" This book is important not only for its beautiful prose and appealing art, but also to remember how women were not allowed..." Read more

"Delightful, musical, imaginative, great invitation if you read with expressions (hands & facial movements). Loved by my 3 year granddaughter." Read more

"What a beautiful story. The words read like a sweet evening beat...." Read more

"This was a beautiful book full of wonderful language and inspiration...." Read more

5 customers mention "Age range"5 positive0 negative

Customers say the book is good for children, 4-5 years olds, and homeschooling. They also mention it's great for pleasure reading.

"...This book is also great for homeschooling, and just pleasure reading. I love this story and the fact that it is based on a true story...." Read more

"An excellent book for young girls or the young musician in your life?It allows that girls can conquer anything...." Read more

"An amazing book for readers of all ages. I read it with my kids ages 9 and 4, they loved not only the story, but also the illustrations...." Read more

"...Good for 4-5 year olds who think drumming is cool." Read more

Can't View Book on Kindle for Mac
1 out of 5 stars
Can't View Book on Kindle for Mac
I eventually liked this book, once I borrowed a PC that allowed the Kindle app to view it. When I first attempted to view this on Kindle for Mac it reported that I needed an update to view. I then updated the Kindle app, but found that I already had the latest version. I then tried to view on my iPad and that didn't allow to view it either. I called Amazon's customer service who walked me through deleting the app and downloading it again. That didn't work either. She reported the problem and I've been awaiting for an update for the past couple of weeks. Although Kindle has been updated again to version 1.29.0. I still cannot view Drum Dream Girl on my Mac. Glad that my friend had a PC so that I could finally view the book.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Z Fam
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story and artwork
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
I purchased this book as a gift for a five year old who loves storytime. They loved it and now ask to read it evey night at bedtime.

It has since of the most beautiful art work i've ever seen in a children's book. And the story is wonderful. I was surprised to learn at the end that it is a true story which made it even more special.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lady B
5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Story For Musicians and Females Who Love Percussion!
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
I really love this story! I am a percussionist and have had varied challenges with playing within a system that encourages "men" to play and women to "dance." I am also a dancer however I like to dance and drum. I have read this story to several groups of students in music classes as well as in general education classes. It allows a teacher to build it into a curriculum that promotes courage, uniqueness, and culture. This book is also great for homeschooling, and just pleasure reading. I love this story and the fact that it is based on a true story. Cuddos to the author and illustrator. Well worth your investment.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
ScotFlower
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Beautiful story on a girl who wanted to play drums and had to go against cultural norms to do so.

Just so you know, I am not a big fan of feminist pushing books. I don't like books that advance women at the expense of men or the attacking of men (or visa versa for that matter). But the great news is that this book does none of those things. The girl pursues her drum dream respectfully. She only takes lessons once her father approves and only performs once her teacher approves. At the end of the book, it also says both boys and girls should be allowed to pursue their dreams. Therefore, I feel this book did feminism beautifully right and in a wonderfully balanced way. I have no qualms reading this book to my drum playing boys.
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Wendy B
5.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling rhyme, intriguing illustrations, and empowering moral
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book allows for you to integrate literature, art, history, civil rights, and music in one lesson. One of my favorites.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
theatrekidsid
5.0 out of 5 stars Let your girl dream
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
An excellent book for young girls or the young musician in your life?
It allows that girls can conquer anything.
This is perfect for my 3 yo great granddaughter with her grandfather being a drummer.
Helpful
 Report
M. A. Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story, stunning illustrations: definitely Caldecott-worthy
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
Love this book, the story is inspiring and some would say "feminist" (I would just say "equal rights focused" because that's what I think "feminism" really is.) I also love to drum, and have been in drum circles, so there was additional appeal because of that. As a gramma reading to kids, I always love a story book that is also appealing to me, and the simple story line is lovely, and the artwork is totally amazing, I can't believe this did not win a Caldecott (although it is an award winning book, and rightly so.) Its one of the favorite books on my childr no book shelf!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
KNation
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Pictures
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is beautiful and tells an amazing story. I have used it with first graders and it’s probably appropriate for second and maybe third as well. I gave it 4 stars because the book jacket was wrinkled and a little torn when it arrived.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The rhythm of girl power!
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Durable cover and beautiful illustrations. Positive and inspiring story, especially since it's true. Stresses diversity, family values, and the message that girls can overcome the cultural prohibition of females playing drums! I read it to the kids at church and everybody lov
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Catherine O'Keeffe
5.0 out of 5 stars A story that inspires interest in drumming.
Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
My students loved this book. It is a great story to introduce Cuban music to the class.
Report
Red Bus Book and Theatre Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars True story of courage, endurance and music
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book is based on the story of Chinese-African-Cuban girl Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who was discouraged from pursuing music in Cuba because drums were just for boys. The colours are absolutely radiant and the story is strongly told. Useful notes at the back inform us that not only did Zaldarriaga get to play, she got to play for US president Roosevelt. This would be a wonderful book to have at home but also for use in school for thinking about endurance and facing up to prejudice.
Report
Tanya Srivastava
5.0 out of 5 stars Lush Illustrations
Reviewed in India on August 22, 2017
Verified Purchase
A Wonderful book about with breathe taking illustrations and talking about gender inequality and how does she come over it.
One person found this helpful
 Report
L. York
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, Stunning illustrations.
Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
My little guy loves this book and I love the message that both boys & girls can follow their dreams!
The illustrations are just beautiful.
Report
Noemí Delgado
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
Beautiful book!!
Report