Pokko and the Drum is an Instant Classic
Pokko and the Drum is the reason I write about picture books on Dad Suggests. This stunning, hilarious picture book about a young frog who loves to play her drum is the entire reason DadSuggests.com exists. Our mission is to share the books that capture our hearts and imaginations - and help you get stories of the highest quality into the hands of your kids.
Pokko and the Drum is that book. It simply does a masterful job of speaking to our particular sensibilities. It endears itself to my entire family in every way possible. It makes us extremely happy, while simultaneously challenging us to explain how. I couldn’t recommend it more. Put simply - I believe that Pokko and the Drum is a masterpiece.
Author and illustrator Matthew Forsythe was once the lead designer on the cartoon series Adventure Time, and I think it’s fair to say that this speaks highly of his imagination credentials - and probably his sense of humor as well. Because Pokko and the Drum stands out in both departments. And, as an added bonus, it’s full of my very favorite type of humor in picture books - deadpan.
The combination of beautiful illustrations and animals delivering perfect deadpan facial expressions - particularly with their eyes - definitely calls into mind the beloved works of Jon Klassen. Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back is one of our favorite picture books of all time, and it was our son’s first book. So I suppose you could say we were all predisposed to love seeing an emotionless frog sitting on top of a llama (also emotionless) which has apparently sat upon Pokko’s parents.
You see, Pokko’s parents have a habit of getting Pokko troublesome gifts - and the latest gift they’ve given her is a drum. They instantly regret their decision after discovering how much noise drums make - and so her father eventually sends her outside of their little mushroom house to play with her drum.
This is when Pokko discovers the power of her music. But first, let’s get one thing straight. Pokko and the Drum stands completely on its own as a masterpiece before trying to read anything into its meaning. In fact, merely attempting to explain what the book is about feels like it sells the book remarkably short. The adventures of Pokko could have absolutely no hidden meaning, and she would still be one of the most adored characters of all time.
But it’s hard for me to read what happens next without thinking about the power of art on our lives. I once wrote an article about a picture book called Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song, in which a girl has a song playing in her head that she simply has to get out on the piano. Unfortunately, she isn’t getting much support from her parents or her school. But when she finally gets the chance to play her song, it has an actual effect on people in the most beautiful ways.
Pokko’s art has an effect on others as well. When she starts playing her drum in the forest, it isn’t long until she’s joined by a raccoon playing a banjo, a rabbit playing a trumpet, and soon an entire band marching through the woods. Pokko wasn’t getting a lot of support from her parents about her passion for her drum, but it turns out she’s very good at it.
I’m pretty sensitive to a moral like that. I desperately want to help our two children discover what their passions are in life - and to encourage them to pursue them as far as they want and as long as they want. I’m a big fan of art and imagination - and I want to help our kids stoke the fires of their imagination. It’s very important to me that our kids know their personal interests and their ability to express themselves are important and cherished.
But, like I already mentioned, Pokko and the Drum by no means bonks you over the head with this theme - or any other meaning for that matter. The point of the book is quite elusive in fact, which makes it so much more endearing in my opinion. The absurdity of the setting and the lightness of the plot actually provide a lot of strength to the humor and the deadpan glances. And the book is a masterpiece with or without a point - which probably says a lot about the actual ride it takes you on.
And during that ride, there’s certainly one very unexpected twist. And I also think there’s something to be said for how hilariously unexpected it is when you’re reading the book for the first time, so feel free to skip to the next paragraph if you want to preserve that. But, while Pokko is leading her parade of bandmates through the forest, the wolf suddenly and unexpectedly eats the rabbit. And this leads to one of the best lines of the book by far:
“No more eating band members, or you’re out of the band.”
In many ways, this short-lived tragedy and that brilliant, deadpan delivery from Pokko perfectly encapsulates what we love about this book in our house. How can you not love a book with a line like that? Forsythe is willing to take risks in his storytelling, and, once again, I honestly believe it completely works whether you read it as an absurd, comical twist devoid of meaning - or as the character development of Pokko as a leader discovering herself.
Pokko and the Drum truly is a journey of self-discovery, a commentary on parenting, and a champion of the arts. But I’ve only convinced myself of that after multiple re-readings. And that’s because, like any masterpiece, it works just as well on the surface level.
With deadpan animal eyes, endearing characters, and the most beautiful drawings, Pokko and the Drum is perfectly constructed to appeal to adults and children alike. In many ways it feels and looks like a classic fairy tale, and our kids were bought in immediately. It will undoubtedly stand the test of time as one of our all-time favorites.
You can find Pokko and the Drum on Amazon, or shop local with IndieBound (affiliate links).
Have you read Pokko and the Drum yet? What did you think? Does the story of a little frog playing her drum in the woods and flashing deadpan glances speak to your family’s sensibilities? Let us know in the comments!
