Everything a Drum

by Sarah Warren, Camila Carrossine (Illustrator)

A musical toddler keeps his parents on their toes as he explores his world and turns everything--from walls to the family pet--into a means to tap out a beat. Capturing both the joy and frustrations of toddler life and young parenthood, Everything a Drum will speak to both young rhythm makers and their parents. Humorous, touching illustrations of the exuberant musician celebrate musicality and daily family life with rhythmic phrases and sound words that are fun to read aloud.

Genres: Music, Picture Books, Storytime, Family, Fiction, Childrens

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Sarah Warren is an author and early childhood educator. She is dedicated to bringing everyday heroes to life in books that celebrate the diversity in our schools and communities.

Reviews

[Abigail Sevcik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and fun. If you have a toddler…you know…

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: You bang and bash. Ta-tum! tum! tum! The trash goes crash! pa-pum! pum! pum! You turn the world into a drum. You turn the world into a drum. The muffin tin says plink! plink! plink! The doggy dish says tink! tink! tink!

A young toddler makes a drum out of everything--literally. The book is written in rhyme and has a certain amount of rhythm to it. Mind you, it will never take the place of Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb (the most perfectly perfect book ever). But it was an enjoyable read for me. The narration definitely worked for me. Lots of onomatopoeia throughout. Plenty of repetition--which is thematically appropriate when talking about beats and rhythm. I didn't love the art, however, art is the most subjective thing about picture books.

I personally think this would be a good board book.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book chronicles a child's ability to make music wherever they go. Engaging words and cheerful pictures make this book a fabulous read aloud that is sure to charm children and adults alike.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A musical toddler turns everything into a drum. If you are reading this one-on-one, the book will definitely become a drum. Reading this with drums in a family storytime worked super well and made everyone a musical child. Nice and short too for an interactive book aimed at toddlers.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

An energetic toddler turns everything in his life into a drum as his parents try frantically to keep up with him. The rhyming text had a lot of onomatopoeia. For me this was just meh, but a different reader who connects with it better could make it a great story time book.

[Tera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this for storytime for Hobbies week, but unfortunately I had to cut it. It was cute though!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read aloud book for young kids. It is poetic and definitely relatable. Great use of onomatopoeia.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great with the sticks!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relateable story about a toddler who loves to drum. Fun beats throughout.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music storytime. We played with rhythm sticks this week, so it seemed like the perfect companion!

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything A Drum has a nice rhythm and speaks to a child/toddler who manages to turn everything into a drum. It's for younger readers, has a good cadence, and would keep interest well for a child who enjoys fun sounds. Chock full of onomatopoeia!

Read as a nomination in the 2023 Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book is both funny and relatable. I mean, who hasn't turned animate and inanimate objects close at hand into drums? Everything a Drum is poetic and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for kids of all ages (and the adults in their lives, too)