In the Time of the Drums

Kim L. Siegelson (Author), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator) From Booklist Gr. 2-5, younger for reading aloud. Based on the Gullah legend of a slave rebellion at Ibo's Landing in the Sea Islands, this stirring picture book tells the story from the point of view of an African American child. Mentu is island born and has never known Africa or longed for it, but his beloved grandmother, Twi, is an Ibo conjure woman who remembers the times before. Unlike many who work in the fields, "harvesting what they could not keep," she is not broken by slavery. She teaches Mentu the old stories and songs, teaches him her secrets, and shows him how to beat the ancient rhythms on the goatskin drum between his knees. Then one hot, breathless day, a slave ship arrives with a whole village of Ibo from Benin: the Ibo people hear the island drums and think some magic has brought them home, but when they see the truth of where they are, they refuse to get off the ship. Twi calls to them ("The water can take us ho