Strum and Drum: A Merry Little Quest

K-Gr 2—Strum strums his guitar and Drum drums her drum on their journey to the Great Star in the north. Marching along a path illuminated by flickering lights, they leap through a silver waterfall, feast on peppermints and a pickle, and attract followers, including a dancer, an angel, and a polar bear. A soldier with a toothy grin warns of a beast with green eyes, a creature whose sudden appearance curtails their trip. Colorful drawings that look like paper cutouts give way to richly textured black-and-white sketches, including one of a dreaded beast that turns out to be a cat! A young boy scolds his pet before gently placing the two ornaments, Strum and Drum, higher up on the Christmas tree. This plot twist will have readers eagerly flipping back pages to figure out what just happened: Who are these characters? Why is the waterfall silver? What is the source of flickering lights? Most questions are answered, but a small, muted illustration showcasing the entire Christmas tree misses an opportunity to fully wrap up. The book includes some traditional ornaments like a pickle that may be less familiar to children; there is no endnote explaining the symbolism. VERDICT This clever Christmas tale uses two distinct drawing styles to shift perspective. The surprising ending will have readers returning for a second, or even third, look.—Jenny Andrus

What do Christmas tree ornaments get up to when no one's looking? In mixed-media artwork resembling cut-paper collage, Awan imagines just that, portraying a dreamy, candy-colored world in which adventure and danger lurk. One silent night, Strum and Drum wake from a deep sleep and, on guitar and drum, begin jamming as they travel "all the way to the Great Star in the north!" Their walk leads them past flickering lanterns, a silver waterfall that doesn't get them wet, and glass bubbles that don't pop. Not even a dire warning from a menacing Nutcracker can veer them off the jolly course as their band, portrayed with various skin tones, begins to grow. But when the warned-of beast makes a quick strike, Strum and Drum are flung away from the woods and into a new world--depicted in naturalistic black-and-white art--that will have readers quickly flipping back to the book's beginning to launch the journey with fresh eyes. Brief text holds readers in suspense until the book delivers its revelatory twist in this festive nested story reminiscent of Pokko and the Drum. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)