TEN ONI DRUMMERS

Ten friendly goblins beat their drums to keep nightmares away from a young Japanese boy as he sleeps

At dusk, on a beach in Japan, a young boy falls asleep and begins to dream, but soon he has company - a tiny oni, creeping up from the sand. Throughout the night, one by one, more oni appear, until there are ten in all, and they grow bigger, too. They begin beating their taiko drums, louder and louder. They sail on a raft, play games, have a big meal, and eventually chase away the boy's scary dreams. In this playful, rhyming story, young children find reassurance and comfort for their fears when scary dreams come their way. Through art and story, children also learn about Japanese taiko drumming and the Japanese words and characters for the numbers one to ten. Matthew Gollub is the author of many award-winning books for children, including Cool Melons, an ALA Notable Book and a Horn Book "Fanfare" selection, available from Lee & Low. Kazuko G. Stone has illustrated many books for children in the United States and her native Japan. Some of her American titles include Dorobo the Dangerous, Good Night, Twinkle Gator, and Aligay Saves the Day. Stone was born in Tokyo and now lives in New York City. In addition to illustrating, she teaches design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parson's School of Design.