The biggest mistake Pokko's parents ever made was giving her a drum. When Pokko takes her music to the quiet emerald forest, she's joined by a band of animals—first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf. Will Pokko hear her father’s voice when he calls her home?
Pick by Monica Arnaldo, Are You a Cheeseburger?:
Pokko and the Drum
Written and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (October 1, 2019)
What inspired you to write Pokko and the Drum?
"The story is inspired by a few things: Alice Miller's psychological text, The Drama of the Gifted Child, and also of course my own experiences working as an artist. For me, I felt like working in a creative field is about going deep into your own experience and the world happening around you. Sometimes, they're good experiences, and other times, they're challenging."
What do you think the best picture books do? "I'm not sure but I do think my favorite books capture an ineffable feeling or moment, like in The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats or The Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi. You are transported to a real and universal feeling that can only be shared through literature. I can't say my book ever does this but one can hope."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time?
"Le lion et l'oiseau by Marianne Dubuc - Friendship and the moments that build connections between us.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs - Friendship and impermanence.
A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Allemagna - The exotic feeling of being in any new place."