The First Drum I Ever Heard

A joyous celebration of drums, heartbeats, and the bond between mother and child, by acclaimed African American musician Randy Preston

Bass drum, steel pan, snare . . . is there any kind of drum this little boy’s mom can’t play? For as long as he can remember, drums have been a big part of their life together. And whether in the living room, the park, or the concert hall, he loves grooving with her. There’s something so soothing and special in the beat of each and every drum, which makes him wonder, what was the very first drum he heard?

With rhythmic language mimicking the sounds of drumbeats and joyful illustrations illuminating the feeling of connection they create, this is a unique celebration of music—and motherhood—that families will treasure.

Randy Preston (RandyPreston.com) is an African Native American (Piscataway) singer-songwriter, author, composer, educator, and storyteller. Raised in the UK, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, he developed an early love of the myths and legends surrounding him, including the songs and stories of his own Piscataway people. He has spent the past several years collaborating with authors including Kwame Alexander, co-authoring and narrating How to Sing a Song. The First Drum I Ever Heard is his debut as a solo picture book author. He lives in, writes about, and wanders the forests of his homeland, known as Maryland.

Tamisha Anthony (TamishaAnthony.com)’s previous picture books include On Our Way, What a Day! (by JaNay Brown-Wood), Seoul Food (by Erin Danielle Russell), There’s No Place Like Hope (by Janet Lawler), and Most Perfect You (by Jazmyn Simon). She has taught for the New-York Historical Society and Make Art That Sells, and she writes and illustrates a column for UPPERCASE magazine.