Review by Booklist Review
Along a sunny seashore, from a small wooden house with a thatched roof, a child witnesses a beckoning scene. It begins simply enough, with one man playing a conga drum. Using colloquial greetings such as, "Hey there, brother," "What's up, my peeps," "Hola, amigos," and "Good day there, mates," suggesting people of different ages and backgrounds, a circle of musicians forms on the beach. The names of the instruments are highlighted with bold text, but if the words are unfamiliar, readers can lean on the marker and Photoshop images to identify their characteristics. As people playing djembe, shekere, zills, maracas, and bongos join the conga player, the child watching from across the street is drawn to the music. Moving closer bit by bit, the child decides to take a chance, despite not having an instrument, and proves more than ready to dance. This entertaining cumulative tale demonstrates the rhythmic power of music to bring people together in friendship.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Readers can clap, tap, and drum along to a rhythmic jam session in this joyful seaside introduction to percussion. A conga player on a beach attracts other percussionists, the impromptu ensemble growing to include a djembe, a shekere, zills, maracas, and bongos. Wishing to join the group, a child who doesn't "have/ a drum to beat" wonders whether they can join in and "jam, too." The "PAT-A-PAT-A PAT PAT" of the conga, the "SLAP-SLAP. TIP-A-TAP" of the djembe, and other onomatopoeia ripple through Brown-Wood's rhyming, irresistibly rhythmic verse, immersing readers in the percussive experience. In Alcántra's expressive artwork, bright, summery hues of azure, fuchsia, and lime green leap out against the sand, adding to the jubilant vibes as characters of various skin tones throw their bodies into the music and dance. Ages 3--6. (Feb.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A cumulative story with rhythm, rhyme, and a bopping bunch of percussionists. Nearly every day, a brown-skinned man carries a conga drum across the street and plays on the beach where all can hear: "pat-a-pat-a, pat-pat." The young narrator, who has brown skin and curly brown hair, longs to join in, but without an instrument, this seems impossible. As the narrator watches from across the street, a skateboarding djembe drummer asks to join in, followed by a woman with a shekere, a man with zills, a biking couple with maracas, and an adult and child with bongos. Each percussion instrument has its own onomatopoeic sound that undulates across the pages as the beat variations grow. Unable to resist any longer, the narrator shyly asks, "Can I jam, too?" The way the protagonist joins in changes everything. In Alcántara's richly colorful illustrations, the blues of sky and ocean, the tan sand, and the lush, green land remain constant while the musicians add as much color as they do sound, illustrating the amazing way that making music can bring people together and create community. Alcántara effectively captures the diversity of the characters in this African diasporic setting, illustrating various skin tones, hair styles and textures, clothing styles, fabric patterns, and more. With nearly singable text, this tale beckons readers to move. A fantastic book-jam that delights the ear just as much as the eye. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
