In My Neighborhood

This was great! I didn’t know what to expect but I enjoyed it. It takes place in a literal musical neighborhood where everyone is an instrument. The text opens with such beautiful descriptions of the various instruments fold from the perspective of a drum. It’s clear that he feels inadequate next to......more

This book really has the beat! The drum in this book is trying to find his place in the band. He thinks he just makes sounds, but doesn't realize that he carries the overall beat of the band. The book is short, fun, and has extra cool bold words that match their action/sound. The illustrations are ve......more

This story means well, but the weird personification of these instruments, combined with the cloying rhymes of the text, fail to lay down a suitable track for Drum, his family, and his band. Strange, surrealistic illustrations are difficult to decipher, as if they were created independently of the s......more

See my full review here: [URL not allowed] IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD is a lyrical celebration of music, family, and community. In this neighborhood, all the residents are instruments, but the drums feels a little out of place - not like the other members of his family or community who......more

Drum’s neighborhood is filled with sound. Instead of conversing with one another through words, his friends and family use music to communicate. With a piano for a mother, a cello for a father, and a violin for a brother, Drum finds himself feeling disconnected from everyone else because of his lack......more