Ten Oni Drummers

Hardcover book. $16.95 ISBN: 1-58430-011-6

Written by Matthew Gollub. Illustrated by Kazuko Stone

Ages 4-8. 32 pages. Full color.

Published by Lee & Low Books

This imaginative rhyming bedtime story introduces children to taiko drumming and Japanese numbers while offering comfort from scary dreams. A young boy is joined by one, two, then three tiny oni. The colorful goblins continue to grow in number and size as they frolic and beat their drums through the night until at last their lively drumming chases away the boy's nighttime fears.

The story begins:

"In dreams I gaze upon the sand,
beneath the moonlight in Japan.
I taste the salty wind and sea...
and sometimes I have company.

One oni, by the shore,
rears its head and calls for more.
Two tiny oni creep,
grunt and shake off years of sleep.

Three oni, eyes aglow.
Drumming makes them grow and grow.
Ichi ni san tun-tun!
One two three. Around they run."

"This is a humorous look at nighttime fears, a delightful counting book, and an appealing story poem. The verse is crisp and childlike. Stone's vibrant, expressive watercolor-and-pencil illustrations strike just the right balance between being scary and funny...The book concludes with a pronunciation guide, background notes, and a number chart. A delightful and unique offering to fill requests for bedtime and counting books."
—School Library Journal