The Riddle of the Drum: A Tale from Tizapán, Mexico

by Verna Aardema, Tony Chen (Illustrator)

Anxious to keep his daughter from marrying, a king announces that no man may marry his daughter unless he guesses the kind of leather used in a drum made by a wizard.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1979

About the author

A prolific American children's author and teacher, Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen - more commonly known as Verna Aardema - was born in 1911 in New Era, Michigan. She was educated at Michigan State University, and taught grade school from 1934-1973. She also worked as a journalist for the Muskegon Chronicle from 1951-1972. In 1960 she published her first book, the collection of stories, Tales from the Story Hat. She went on to write over thirty more books, most of them folkloric retellings. Her picture-book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, won co-illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon a Caldecott Medal. Aardema was married twice, and died in 2000 in Fort Myers, Florida. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Determined to find a bride-groom worthy of his daughter, the King of Tizapán sets a nearly impossible test for all her would-be suitors, demanding that they guess the type of leather used to make his jet-black drum. When a neighboring prince hears of this challenge, he sets out to answer the riddle, aided by the unusual characters he meets on his journey to Tizapán...

Originally published as El Aro de Hinojo y El Cuero de Pioja in Howard T. Wheeler's Tales from Jalisco, Mexico (1943), this lovely picture-book adaptation by Verna Aardema is an engaging "progression tale," sure to appeal to young folklore lovers everywhere. With its sprightly narrative and rhyming refrain, it is an ideal selection for reading aloud. I liked that each of the characters the Prince encounters is named after his special "skill:" Corrín Corrán the runner, Tirín Tirán the archer, Oyín Oyán the listener, Soplín Soplán the blower, and Comín Comán the eater. The brief glossary at the rear of the book makes this relationship clear, and is most welcome.

Tony Chen's gorgeous illustrations, which alternate between full-color panels and black & white line drawings, add just the right note of enchantment to the story. The format here is very similar to Mirra Ginsburg's The Fisherman's Son , also illustrated by Chen, and the result is an immensely appealing picture book.

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this book, I can hear Rob reading it to our children, which makes me love it. "Dum te dum, the head of the drum, te, dum. Guess what it's from, te dum, and marry the Princess Fruela."