Two Sticks by Orel Protopopescu, pictures by Anne Wilsdorf.

This jaunty title is filled with rhythm galore as well as rhymes.  It is the story of Maybelle, a girl who moves to her own beat.  She plays with two sticks that she creates rhythms with on all sorts of objects: doors, fences, logs, and more.  She gets carried away with her drumming and finds herself falling into a swamp with only her two sticks to save her from approaching crocodiles!  You can bet that the story ends with a lot of motion, rhythm and courage.

It took me a few pages to get the beat of the this book, because I was expecting less rhythm and more standard rhyme.  But once I got it, I was completely enchanted by the beat, the repetition and the joy inherent in the text.  Just make sure that you give it a read through before reading it aloud to a group.  Wilsdorf’s illustrations add to the wild drumming and the gutsy heroine with their bright colors, flamboyant compositions, and pure fun. 

Highly recommended for a bored group of preschoolers who would enjoy moving their bodies to a beat.  I would recommending handing out rhythm instruments (or sticks) to the children to get them participating.  This is a perfect closer to a story time on crocodiles or music.