It’s Christmas pageant time and Isabella, who loves to sing and dance, hopes to get a part in the play as a Christmas angel. She dreams of wearing a flowing white robe, feathery wings and a sparkling halo.

As life does, things don't go quite as planned. Isabella is assigned the part of The Little Drummer GIRL! Girl, who ever heard of that? Besides, drummers don't get to wear halos, white robes, or wings! She’d have just a drum and sheep. Yes Isabella is certainly disappointed. She had even prayed she’d get the angel part so she could proudly proclaim the birth of Jesus. Daddy explains to his little girl that this baby named Jesus is a King and she has been chosen to play for Him by His stable bed. Her mindset changes especially when she gets an early Christmas present to unwrap.
While this is the sweetest story of precious little girl, the vividly beautiful illustrations are the winner for me. it’s classic Christmas Pageant… children in fluffy sheep costumes wearing sneakers, shepherds in bathrobes sipping from a mug in play practice, little boy in a gray donkey suit and of course the angels with halos perched on their heads along with the ever present serious matronly play director who has led the play for the last 25 years most likely.
Children will love searching for the dog and cat throughout the book. I laughed upon seeing the cat on page eleven in rapt attention sitting in the audience the night of the performance.
The Little Drummer Girl is aimed at children ages 3 to 5 and perfectly demonstrates how an awful day can turn into the greatest day of all. This book is a perfect read aloud with messages of hope, humor, and the power of God's love, at Christmas and every day.