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41st out of 76 books
—
225 voters
Drummer Hoff
Ed Emberley won the 1968 Caldecott Medal for his bold illustrations for Barbara Emberley's jaunty adaptation of the cumulative folk song about seven soldiers who build a magnificent cannon and Drummer Hoff, who fires it off.
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
September 20th 2005
by Aladdin Paperbacks
(first published 1967)
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I discovered `Drummer Hoff' in a Scholastic book offer at school when I was six, and begged my parents to buy it for me. Like many little boys, I was enamored by soldiers, and would pour over the book again and again, entranced by the colorful European dress uniforms worn by the motley bunch of soldiers who were assembling, loading, and preparing to fire a cannon. Each one was distinctive, and I was particularly fond of Sergeant Chowder (who brought the powder), a gruff looking peg-legged fellow...more
“Drummer Hoff” is a Caldecott Medal award winning book by Barbara Emberley along with illustrations by Ed Emberley and it is a folk verse that details the making of a cannon as each soldier brings a part to make the cannon. “Drummer Hoff” may have colorful illustrations and a catchy folk verse, but the story might be too bland for smaller children to handle.
I will admit that Barbara Emberley’s folk verse was pretty creative, especially when the different parts of the cannon rhymes with the name...more
I will admit that Barbara Emberley’s folk verse was pretty creative, especially when the different parts of the cannon rhymes with the name...more
This story made me think of Christmas. I don't know if it was because the words in the book reminded me of the Twelve Days of Christmas, because the illustrations reminded me of a picture of nutcracker that I keep picturing, or that I kept thinking of the Little Drummer Boy. Throughout the book I thought of all those things and I don't know which thought came upon me first, but I felt very Christmasy throughout the book.
The pictures are pretty cool with all the lines in the them and I think tha...more
The pictures are pretty cool with all the lines in the them and I think tha...more
Filled with lots of white space and richly-colored woodcut illustrations, this cumulative tale describes various members of a military unit bring various parts to make a cannon fire. The men are dressed in ornate uniforms and some, such as Sergeant Chowder, struggle with the things they carry. As something is added, the stoic Drummer Hoff quietly stands by and bides his time. The red, orange, and yellow double-page spread near the book's conclusion makes it clear what the result of all that work...more
This book has very few words but without even reading, the pictures can tell the entire story. The pictures are designed mostly by lines that form an image (human, star, rope, etc) and in every image there are lines and color. Every picture is precisely detailed, and on one of the pages it is completely filled with color and design as the cannon shoots. You can tell this book is outdated by the pictures and color, but it is still visually exciting as an adult. However, I feel it would bore young...more
I don't think I care for this one for children, although I'm trying to make sense of it. I guess there's an anti-war message on the last page, but the bulk of the story feels more like glorification of war to me. The story is essentially about beautifully-rendered soldiers assembling a canon. It goes off, and then in the last page, all the soldiers are gone and there are flowers growing out of the canon and birds nesting in it. As I'm writing this, I wonder if I'd feel differently if I reintrodu...more
There is absolutely no picture book I straight out hate as much as this one. I still almost 10 years after I first read it as a part of my youth lit class can taste the violent dislike of this book. Was there no other book that couldn't be better that year? I just, the illustrations are so-so at best, and then you add on this lame ending to the book. Oy. I have had more people read this book just because once I start ranting about it, I can't stop. There are only three or four books I hate as mu...more
Drummer Hoff adapted by Barbara Emberly and illustrated by Ed Emberly is a Caldecott Medal Book. This book is written with repeating lines always ending with and "Drummer Hoff fired it off." The story is about soldiers who all bring different parts of a cannon until it is made and Drummer Hoff fires it off. The illustrations are bright with bold lines. The book ends with the cannon left in a meadow with birds and flowers. It is a good read for young children. I think it is a way to open a discus...more
This picture book is an adaptation of a folksong and describes the story of a military unit who work together to construct a cannon. The elaborated woodcut illustrations filled with rich colors really make this book stand out. The details of each soldier and their carefully crafted expressions add detail, depth and life to the story. The ever-stoic Drummer Hoff stands by as one officer after the other brings his piece to the cannon, until the long awaited order, "FIRE!" is issued. I very much en...more
The colors of the illustrations in this story are incredible. An individual character may have a large array of colors in a single outfit. The depictions use liens and shape and color to communicate emotions and situations. The lines give a sense of movement as well as give structure to an individual’s outfit and surroundings. The character’s faces portray little to no emotions, but their vibrant outfits add emotions that no face could portray. The book focuses very little on the background bein...more
A cumulative tale, like The House that Jack Built or The Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly. And the metre is perfect for marching. Children tend to enjoy these kinds of simple stories, even if they seem boring to some adults. And the illustrations are, of course, captivating. Of course they're not to everyone's taste, but give them a chance. I may be biased because I had an Ed Emberley coloring book when I was a child. But the Caldecott people like him, so it's not just me!
BTW: Feel free, as you re...more
BTW: Feel free, as you re...more
Drummer Hoff is a rhythmic, but dull story, about the building of a cannon. Although the rhyming of the names with the parts of the cannon was entertaining, the constant repetition became dull after a while. I think this book would be wonderful for young children, just learning how to read, but not past that. The pictures, however, were wonderful. The illustrations were always against a solid, white background, which allowed the detail and vibrant colors used to stand out. The pictures illustrat...more
Emberley, Barbara, and Ed Emberley. Drummer Hoff. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall, 1967. Print. 32 p.
Caldecott Winner 1968
Illustrations in Drummer Hoff are reminiscent of the time it was created. Bright colored, vivid wood cut prints present an adapted folktale of a band of soldiers. Told in verse, the story cumulates which is a feature young readers enjoy. The repetitive verse helps children memorize the book to feel as though they are “reading”. Young children may create simple drums or...more
DRUMMER HOFF FIRRRRRED IT OFF!
KABLOOOOOM!
KABLOOOOOM!
Ed Emberley uses bright colors over wood cut lines. The lively illustration and snappy rhythm of the verse captures the happiness and liveliness through this book with bright colors such as yellows, reds, and pinks. Drummer Hoff explodes the rhyme with bursts of colors making the story come to life. The pictures are outlined with dark lines making the objects in the story pop out. The lines are asymmetrical, arches, and straight to add just a touch of lifelike. The pictures emphasize the text; h...more
This was one of the most colorful children’s books I have read thus far. The words were very repetitive but the reading was fun and the pictures matched the characters being talked about on each page. The drawings were made of simple lines but the colors that were in between the lines are what stood out to me as a reader. I was able to pay attention to the pictures and see which character was which based on the images. Since the book built on itself, there were many characters on each page at th...more
The 1968 Caldecott Award winner. I found this at a garage sale of a retiring educator a couple of years ago and this title has sat on a downstairs bookshelf until I decided to go back and read these award winners this weekend.
Delightful verse about the hierarchy of people who give orders until the eventual firing of the cannon by Drummer Hoff. Colorful woodcuts make up the illustrations that are a feast for the eyes.
This might work well in a writer workshop if the prompt involved many people in...more
Delightful verse about the hierarchy of people who give orders until the eventual firing of the cannon by Drummer Hoff. Colorful woodcuts make up the illustrations that are a feast for the eyes.
This might work well in a writer workshop if the prompt involved many people in...more
This book won the 1968 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations.
The story is a a cumulatvie, or progressive, tale of various soldiers adding parts to a cannon before it is fired. Each page adds one more soldier and one more part. Drummer Hoff fires it off, but not without the barrell brought by Corporal Farrell, the shot brought by Major Scott, and the order given by General Border. The rhyming and tongue-twisting text will inspire laughs among children too young to read and by those who enjoy tryi...more
The story is a a cumulatvie, or progressive, tale of various soldiers adding parts to a cannon before it is fired. Each page adds one more soldier and one more part. Drummer Hoff fires it off, but not without the barrell brought by Corporal Farrell, the shot brought by Major Scott, and the order given by General Border. The rhyming and tongue-twisting text will inspire laughs among children too young to read and by those who enjoy tryi...more
May 18, 2009
Chandra
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
caldecott,
picture-books
This book was the 1968 Caldecott Medal winner....and it shows. The illustrations seemed very dated to me and, although there isn't much of an aesthetic correlation, I immediately thought of my dad's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album cover. It had nifty cutouts that I wanted desperately to play with. I wonder if he still has it.... But I digress. This is a cumulative poem about soldiers preparing to fire a cannon - complete with a 1960s hippie-style message on the the final page. Groovy!
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I liked the illustrations in this book because it was very colorful. This book was really fun to read because the words were repetitive and added to each page before. The pictures matched the characters being talked about on each page so it would be fun for children to go along with. The drawings were made of simple lines but the colors that were in between the lines are what stood out to me. Since the book built on itself, there were many characters on each page and at the end of the book.
I found the illustrations in this picture book so incredible. There was so much detail in each character and object. The objects and characters are made up of a lot of lines. The book was filled with bright colors. Each character in the story had dramatic different features. For example, big noses, skinny noses, large chins etc. The pages don't have a lot on them but the amount of detail as well as complexity of the illustrations makes up for that. One thing I noticed that was different from the...more
Another childhood favorite, Drummer Hoff follows a military unit of fancifully named officers (e.g. Sgt. Chowder) who prepare a cannon for firing. Written in rhyming verse, this is a great book for reading aloud with younger children, who will certainly take great pleasure in repeating the refrain and wiggle with anticipation of shouting out the two-page climax. The illustrations are fabulous as well--bright, intricate wood-cut-like illustrations illuminate every page.
1968 Caldecott Medal Winner
Not sure how these illustrations are done. Ink and some kind of paint? Oh well. They have a creative, stained glass effect. Hubby saw the book and said "pretty pictures!"
A cumulative rhyme in which various members of an army(?) follow their chain of command for the process of loading a cannon. When the rhyme is complete, we indeed get to see Drummer Hoff firing it off. I like it that another reviewer pointed out that the final image is hippie-esque with the obsolete ca...more
Not sure how these illustrations are done. Ink and some kind of paint? Oh well. They have a creative, stained glass effect. Hubby saw the book and said "pretty pictures!"
A cumulative rhyme in which various members of an army(?) follow their chain of command for the process of loading a cannon. When the rhyme is complete, we indeed get to see Drummer Hoff firing it off. I like it that another reviewer pointed out that the final image is hippie-esque with the obsolete ca...more
Drummer Hoof is book and folk song about seven soldiers (a general, a major, a captain, a sergeant, a corporal, a private, and a drummer) who built a cannon and all the work that it entails. In the end, Drummer Hoff is the one who “fires it off”. The illustrations are unlike most children’s books. They are busy, colorful, and full of life. Due to these particular characteristics, the reader is continuously interested in what will happen next. Drummer Hoff would be good book have in your classroo...more
The use of color in this book's illustrations really is remarkable. Ed Emberly has done a fantastic job in creating lively drawings to compliment this story that builds to a big climax, and I can see how the illustrations were considered worthy of the 1968 Caldecott Medal.
This is a good book for beginning readers; the repetition should be a good tool in learning how to read. The story will hold the attention of many older readers, as well.
This is a good book for beginning readers; the repetition should be a good tool in learning how to read. The story will hold the attention of many older readers, as well.
The illustrations attracted me, and I thought it was about drummers when I picked it up from the library sale pile, but it's actually about a crew of soldiers working together to fire a canon ball. So I wasn't thrilled about that, but the violent aspect is surprisingly WAY downplayed, and the rhymes made me giggle so much I could barely read the words, even without the tongue-twisters. And the illustrations really are GREAT.
This book uses geometric shapes to create images for the illustrations. The drawings somehow managed to use almost every color in each and every piece within the photo. This caused the page to not only be rainbow like, because of the shapes within them to be almost like an optical illusion that makes you somewhat dizzy. Each page holds approximately four words that surprisingly sufficiently represent the vibrant drawings.
Tags: Caldecott, folk tale, soldiers, rhyme, woodcut, cumulative, army, Emberley
Various army personnel bring items so that the cannon can be fired off. Great rhythm and rhyme and repetition.
Illustrations are woodcuts with colors over the lines.
Caldecott Award 1968
"Drummer Hoff" adapted by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley, Simon and Schuster: New York, 1967.
Various army personnel bring items so that the cannon can be fired off. Great rhythm and rhyme and repetition.
Illustrations are woodcuts with colors over the lines.
Caldecott Award 1968
"Drummer Hoff" adapted by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley, Simon and Schuster: New York, 1967.
The bold colors and simple storyline effectively paint a picture of chain-of-command issues. It is another answer to the well-known dilemma, "How many __________ does it take to change a light bulb?" In this case, it takes seven soldiers to fire a cannon. Ed Emberley's Caldecott-winning illustrations include the brilliant "click" before the fiery red explosion, as well as a dormant, overgrown and abandoned cannon serving as the epilogue. Children of all ages will enjoy this tale, not just the 5-...more
Nov 27, 2012
Anja Manning
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
uwm-child-lit-645
The woodcut illustrations in this book are unique. They have a lot of character and traditional charm whilst being incredibly colorful. There is little text per page, but the story is interesting enough to deserve someone playing Civil War type drums in the background whilst reading it.
Illustrated by Ed Emberley.
Caldecott Medal Winner 1968.
Illustrated by Ed Emberley.
Caldecott Medal Winner 1968.
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