A strong breeze shook the tree in front of his house, and Max saw two heavy twigs fall to the ground."

So begins this story of a young boy's introduction to the joys of making music.

Max picks up the sticks and begins tapping out the rhythms of everything he sees and hears around him . . . the sound of pigeons startled into flight, of rain against the windows, of distant church bells and the rumble of a subway. And then, when a marching band rounds Max's corner, something wonderful happens.

Brian Pinkney's rhythmic text and lively pictures are certain to get many a child's foot tapping, many a youngster drumming.

This book is aimed at children in primary school.

This book was published 1998 by Simon & Schuster .

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the author of many acclaimed picture books and young adult novels and works for Scholastic Publishing. Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children and he has written and illustrated several of his own books.