School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-From the time monkey Mike is a tyke, he drums, bangs, and rattles on anything handy, much to the consternation of family, neighbors, and teachers. Their constant refrain, "BE QUIET, MIKE!" has no effect on the monkey in motion. One day he sees the answer-a drum set in a music store window that would provide an outlet for his percussive energy. Without the means to afford it, Mike hatches a plan. After much drawing, gathering, hammering, and taping, he creates a homemade set of pots, pans, and cans and gets down to business. To his surprise, his new musical outlet elicits cheers from his family and in the satisfying ending they urge, "PLAY LOUDER, MIKE!" This rhythmic, rhyming romp about a youngster who must drum is illustrated with bold lines and colors in acrylic that suggest a jazzy ease. The bright, ever-changing background hues keep the focus on Mike and the onomatopoeic words scattered throughout the story. Children who can't sit still will love meeting Mike, and frustrated parents will see a solution to their own be-bopping child in this effervescent drummer.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mike, a little monkey who started beating time in utero ("kick thump pow" comes through loud and clear on the obstetrician's stethoscope), turns everything from a garbage can to his sister's dolls into percussive instruments. So he's constantly being admonished with the titular refrain (which, ironically-or cleverly-begs to be shouted). Mike tries hard to play by the rules, but "the beat of his heart/ was stronger than his will." The gentle lesson Patricelli (the Patterson Puppies books) serves up is that exercising one's talent is great in the right context: a natural-born drummer should use a drum kit-and if that's out of reach (as is the one Mike spies in a store window), make necessity the mother of invention. Patricelli isn't the most felicitous rhymer-the literal writing and well-behaved meter don't do justice to her hero's gifts ("Mike was good at school-/ he wasn't one for yapping,/ but with pencils everywhere,/ he couldn't stop tapping"). But her bright acrylic pictures are the definition of upbeat and bouncy, and she gives the irrepressible, well-meaning Mike unexpected depth and poignancy. Ages 3-6. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
