The Little Drummer Boy

Watts stages the familiar Christmas carol in a quaint village. “Winter was coming,” but the titular drummer boy, Benjamin—wearing only patched clothing and a red cap to keep him warm—plays his drum on the village streets. When “three strangers” invite the boy to play for a newborn king, Benjamin suggests that he is “too poor and shabby” for the honor. As the snow begins to fall and the cobblestone streets of the village darken, Benjamin meets with his friend Rachel, who is eager to give the newborn baby a gift of warm shoes. In the manger, the baby receives several presents, but Benjamin feels that he has nothing to give—except his music. In her familiar art style, Watts infuses the scenes with light, gently illuminating tiled rooftops and flooding the Nativity with a golden glow. A bright, traditional retelling of the classic. Ages 4–8. [em](Oct.) [/em]