Thump, Thump, Rat-A-Tat-Tat

by Gene Baer, Lois Ehlert (Illustrator)

A distant marching band grows larger and louder as it nears, and then softer and smaller as it goes away again.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Music, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first book on marching bands!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

The littles will enjoy this! Be sure to start out softly and as you turn each page and the band gets closer, get louder and louder. Then the band will start passing by and you can fade your voice away too.

Ages: 3 - 7

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[Raven Grider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would use this story with music, for sure! Also, this story could be used to teach syllables, but in a more creative way than just clapping. The author expresses the text via poetry, and it would be a great book to have during a poetry unit.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The band is coming - rhythmic sound effects that get louder and then it goes away and the sounds get softer. Repetitive and fun. Great for sticks or clapping. Awesome one-on-one book but can definitely be used effectively in a story time.

[Ilyen Marban · Rating 5 out of 5]

book about little men march marching and their surroundings. lots of repetition.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start out quietly until the band is in full view, then from loud to quiet as the band goes on the bus.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple toddler and up book featuring marchers in a band. easily repeated sounds

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Follow the band as we make band-like noises

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A band is coming! Thumps and rat-a-tat-tats come with the band as they march down the road. The band members have drums and flutes and brass instruments. At the end of the story, the band members get onto a bus to go perform somewhere else.
The artwork for this book seems as though it was created from cutting out pieces of colored paper in basic shapes. The shapes make up the members of a miniature band carrying instruments and flags.
This book is an excellent choice to read to toddlers for a storytime about music. This book is filled with sounds that the children can imitate. For a craft, the children could make simple drums out of oatmeal containers.

[Alice]

Near/Far, Loud/Soft

[Brenda]

Musical connections to literature

[Kt Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Use rhythm sticks and drums and have your own marching band parade!!