Katherine K. Davis (1892–1980)

The classic Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy, also known as The Carol of the Drum, is presented in picture book form in this holiday title from 1968, with the words of the song paired with colorful artwork from Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. As the eponymous little drummer follows a procession heading to see the infant Jesus, he wonders what a poor child such as him could offer a kingly figure, eventually settling on the only thing he has: his drumming...

Although long aware of Keats' The Little Drummer Boy, I have never felt especially motivate to pick it up at the holidays. Something about its cover, with a figure that for all the world has always looked like a little elf to me, just doesn't make me think of Christmas. Deciding this year that as someone with an interest in picture books featuring Christmas carols and songs, I really had to track it down, I finally requested it from my library. I'm glad I did so, as—lo and behold—covers can be deceiving. Reading this while listening to the Harry Simeone Chorale recording, I found it a very sweet, very moving Christmas read after all. The artwork had a deep, vivid color palette and stylized figures that felt both mysterious and beautiful, leaving me with an impression of undercurrents of feeling and epiphany, as the little boy makes his way to Jesus, offering what he can, and finding his reward in the end. Recommended to picture book readers looking for Christmas song presentations, as well as to fans of Ezra Jack Keats' work.… (meer)