To Be a Drum by Evelyn Coleman

Coleman, E., & Robinson, A. B. (1998). To be a drum. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.

What is a drum to you?

What if the rhythm of a drum could be something as so powerful as the heartbeat of the Earth?  The sound of your people and what they've been through.  Evelyn Coleman produced a captivating picture book using the roots of African culture to explain the history of her people with a giant focus: the drum.  A revolving metaphor is used during the entire book to explain the triumphs of the African culture, and the endurance of a people to always feel the beat within their souls.    Such a brief story is able to cover slavery all the way to the Civil Right's Movement making itself a must have on any bookshelf in a classroom.  

This book would ideally be used for children between the ages of 5-10. 

If you're looking for culture, this book is entirely woven together with the meaning of it.  It is a wonderful, powerful and rhythmic read to bring to any classroom community, embracing the qualities of what it means to be an African American.  The deepness of the meaning could bring pride to any young African American child while also educating those of other ethnicities on the importance of remembering where you came from.  

This rendition online, read by James Earl Jones, is mesmerizing and guaranteed to draw children into wanting to research such a rich culture.  It has an air that demands respect and full attention of any student of any color. 

http://www.storylineonline.net/to-be-a-drum/

What's inside?

Theme:

Slavery 
War
Civil Right's Movement
Family
Music

Personification:
The author uses the reoccurring theme of the heart having a beating heart that it shares with all mankind to be heard. 
They waited for the hearing of the Earth's heartbeat. 

Allusion:
The author makes references to Africa back when Africans were sold into slavery and also when the Civil Right's Movement came about for African American rights. 

The illustrations in the piece represent the culture accurately, as well as the time period being portrayed.  The pages are very unique that Aminah Robinson creates throughout To Be a Drum. 


How can we teach this?
This book is rich with African Culture, and it would be a perfect opportunity for students to think more deeply about racism and segregation in your classes.    Although it is a younger grade, have them write in their journals as  a freewrite as to what they know about slavery and the Civil Right's Movement.    Use the book for textual evidence for your students.  Have them write their opinions on the two topics.

Is there anything that could have changed?
What would the world be like today if these events hadn't happened?