Module #3: Drummer Hoff

 

Module #3:  Drummer Hoff

Book Summary:

Drummer Hoff is an adaptation of a folk verse by Barbara Emberly, with illustrations by Ed Emberly. This book was awarded The Caldecott Medal in 1968. This book has beautiful woodcut prints. The colors are bold and the illustrations have intricate designs.  The story is told in a repetitive, rhyming structure. The characters in the book are all military men building a cannon that Drummer Hoff will fire. The book’s finale is a great explosion, filling the pages with dark colors and bold letters spelling “Kahbahbloom”.  On the last page, we infer that everyone has been blown away and only the cannon remains, but this time instead of military men, its nature that has endured and conquered war machines with flowers, birds, and moss. 

APA Reference of Book:

 Emberley, B., & Emberley, E. (1967). Drummer Hoff. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

I was attracted by the book’s illustrations – simple, yet bold at the same time. I enjoyed reading the book, due to its charming rhyming and repetition. I could see children being very attentive and interested in the story, as it catches your ear when read aloud. I wondered if the story was a commentary on the Vietnam or Korean War, as it was published in 1967. To me, this story symbolized the theatrics of war and its futility.

Professional Review:

In this Caldecott Medal book, colorfully decorated soldiers prepare a cannon named Sultan before our eyes in detailed woodcuts. A cumulative verse grows as each soldier arrives on the scene, reinforcing the repetition of black lines and punctuated pattern. In this print "Major Scott brought the shot"—a cannon ball—and he is placing it inside the barrel. His tall hat is decorated with flowing tassels and an emblematic bird, which is repeated on his belt buckle. Looped cord on his shoulder distinguishes his uniform. Bright red hair forms a long, curled mustache. The other soldiers, displaying unique-looking headpieces and distinctive hairstyles and facial features, peer out from a trench. Drummer Hoff maintains his position throughout the story, standing behind the cannon, holding his drum. Although the book was created during an era of war, it reflects the times in a nonthreatening way. Birds and flowers appear on each page as though this nonsensical event is taking place in a meadow. A low horizon line gives the appearance of watching a play on stage, and the blank background causes us to focus on the vibrantly colored characters and rhyming verse. Drummer Hoff'wus a true collaboration for this husband-andwife team. Ed Emberley carved wood blocks for each picture, leaving only tbe black lines raised on the surface of the wood. For every print, Barbara Emberley made three separate one-color drawings that mapped out where each of the primary colors would go when the book was printed. Secondary colors were created where primaries overlapped.

Erbach, M. M. (2006). classic caldecotts by decade. Book Links, 15(6), 16-20.

Library Uses: This would be a good book to use during storytime, due to its rhyming and repetition of words. It encourages the audience to remember the rhyme as the story gets longer and longer.  The illustrations are bold in color and allow for the presenter to ask the audience what colors they see.