by Jarrett Dapier (Author) Lee Gatlin (Illustrator)
A rollicking, spooky-fun trip through the most haunted home in America: the White House!
It was late October, the moon was pale, late in October when it came by mail: a letter, a missive, a kind invitation to drum at the most haunted house in the nation! When the Skeleton Drummers receive an invitation from the First Lady to perform at the biggest Halloween party of a lifetime--or afterlife--the band must pack their instruments, rise from the earth, and prepare to rock the White House. With gusto and bone-rattling beats, the skeletons boom! bang! and clang! as the crowd of trick-or-treaters dance on the president's lawn. But when the party moves inside, something's not quite right: there's a chill in the air and a prickle of fright. There's one thing you might not know: The White House is haunted from top to toe!
With rhyming, rhythmic text from Jarrett Dapier and wonderfully macabre illustrations from Lee Gatlin, this musical tour of America's most famous home is full of spooky surprises at every turn.
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Gr 2-5--In 2009, Dapier was invited to play the drums at the White House during the Obamas's first Halloween celebration. This engaging, rhyming story inspired by that event begins with the Skeleton Drummers receiving an invitation to perform. The cleverly illustrated book, with its pencil, ink, and digitally colored illustrations, includes historical political figures portrayed as dancing ghosts. The Obamas themselves are standout illustrations, coupled with the Skeleton Drummers jamming throughout the event along with the trick-or-treating children. Overall, the lively illustrations add to the lighthearted nature of the story. The vocabulary includes music-related terminology that could be unfamiliar to some, as well as words that are not a part of the average child's lexicon, such as waltz and gloam. However, the musical terminology and unfamiliar vocabulary provide the possibility for further learning opportunities. An author's note describing the lore surrounding ghosts that haunt the White House as well as Dapier's personal experience of playing the celebration add to the book's appeal. Additional back matter includes a list of books and online resources about White House ghosts and hauntings. VERDICT The illustrations and narrative surrounding the most haunted house in America are more than enough to keep readers entertained.--Katie Loomis
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