June 25, 2007

Review of D Is for Drum

Debbie and Michael Shoulder's D is for Drum:  A Native American AlphabetThis title presents a mishmash of Indian cultural snippets, presented alphabetically and in rhyme, paired with side panels that purport to offer more information about each topic. Abysmally written, with trite error-laden rhymes and boring yet confusing “informational” text, the poor attempts at iambic pentameter highlight this cockamamie piece of dreck, typical of the quality of work of a press known for its picture books of made-up “Indian legends” that have become best sellers in Michigan and the Great Lakes Area.

The text veers between past and present tense, the selections are illogical and odd, and the rhymes are even odder:

Native Names are important words.
They’re given to newborns with care.
Honi means wolf, Woya means dove,
and Nita is Choctaw for bear.
(Excerpted from Debbie Reese's American Indians in Children's Literature, 6/18/07.)

Comment:  For more information, see the previous write-up of this book.

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