The Cross Drums

by Meshack Asare

Selected by the International Youth Library, Munich, for the 2009 White Ravens list of outstanding new books for children and young adults. Meshack Asare is an internationally renowned writer and illustrator, and the recipient of my book awards. This new story, promoting peace and tolerance, is an uplifting story for young people. It tells of two villages who come together, motivated and harnessed by the “cross drums” , because the drums call to each other and blend as one. And some say that the laughter which can be heard, is the laughter of the wise man who gave them the drums; and others believe the wise man is the ancestral king whose two sons founded the villages.

105 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2008

About the author

Meshack Asare (born 1945) is a popular African children's author. He was born in Ghana and currently resides in Degenfeld, Germany.

Reviews

[jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living and teaching in Ghana, I appreciate The Cross Drums. It's important to hand over texts from our host country to our students. The story is approachable, meaningful and teaches messages of peace and tolerance.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meshack Asare, the 2015 recipient of the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature, has blended several northern African folk tales into this retelling of how the innocence of children can overcome bigotry and hate. Soft charcoal illustrations enhance the gentle tale that rolls with the style and voice of the oral storyteller.

[Alex C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in