David Bouchard and Shelley Willier, paintings by Jim Poitras, singing and drumming by Northern Cree,
The Drum Calls Softly
Red Deer Press, 2008.

Ages: 8+

Book + CD

The Drum Calls Softly is a bilingual (English and Cree) picture-book for children and adults alike, written by award-winning Metis author, David Bouchard and Cree poet, Shelley Willier; and with sweeping oil paintings by Cree/Lakota/Metis artist Jim Poitras.  An accompanying CD brings the verse to life, with compelling drumming and singing by the well-known pow-wow group, Northern Cree, who have twice been nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Native American Album.

As the title indicates, this is a book about drumming and its importance to the Cree as an instrument in gathering the people together:

“Step into the outer circle
Listen to the beating drum.
Take my hand and hold it tight
The thing you seek is soon to come.”

The poem is more of an invocation than a story, full of anticipation for the magic that a night’s dancing around the drum will bring.  This eagerness becomes even more apparent when listening to the CD and reading along. The CD also enhances the bilingual nature of the book.  The Cree version becomes much more accessible to those who do not know the language: to the extent that the mesmerizing power of the night’s dancing around the drum is equally effective in both languages, enhanced by the almost hypnotic quality of the narrator’s voice in both English and Cree.  The powerful nature of the drum, as well as the chant-like singing, along with unobtrusive sound effects such as the flowing creek or the crackling of burning wood, compliment the rhythm of the verse.

As one listens and flips the pages, Poitras’ colorful paintings convey the mood of the text.  Silhouette figures, sometimes as dancers in the round dance, sometimes as hunters on the plains, are set against backgrounds depicted in bold colors with sweeping brushstrokes. There is even a scene of a round dance inside a gymnasium, which reminds us of the book’s contemporary relevance; and several double-page vistas of the prairie landscape act in counterpoint to the pages containing text.

The Drum Calls Softly is a truly interactive book and a unique experience for readers of all ages.  It may call softly, but this drumbeat is compelling and definitely worth following.

Sally Ito
August 2009