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.

Raise your hand if you were EVER cast as ‘Sheep #2’ instead of the angel. ✋😂
This book? It’s for us.

Isabella wants to be 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Christmas Angel. Instead, she gets drumsticks, a bright red uniform, and absolutely zero wings. Cue the five-year-old meltdown.

What follows is a funny, heartwarming retelling of the Christmas story that shows kids (and honestly, us grown-ups too) that their gifts matter—even when they aren’t what they expected.

WHAT I LOVED

🎨 Whimsical, vibrant illustrations that absolutely 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 off the page
🥁 A girl drummer lead—fresh, fun, and empowering
😂 Witty rhyming lines that made 𝘮𝘦 laugh out loud
🌟 A charming Nativity retelling through a child’s hopeful eyes
❤️ A message of God’s love that’s warm, gentle, and joyful
🎬 The Christmas pageant scenes—instant holiday magic
👧 Isabella’s personality—spunky, dramatic, lovable
📖 Read-aloud perfection for bedtime or church
🎄 Guaranteed holiday tradition-maker

If you’re looking for a Christmas picture book that delivers heart, humor, and a whole lot of holy-night sparkle, this one needs to be wrapped under your tree. Perfect for ages 3-5.✨

A charming story about the true star of the Christmas Pageant. This would make a great gift. I'll definitely be sharing more about it closer to Christmas!

In a Nutshell: A Christmas picture book about a little girl who dreams of one thing and gets something else. A cute story with a nice Christmas message and lovely illustrations. But the rhymes were a bit off. I might have liked this better if it were written in simple prose. Could work better with those who aren’t particular about poetic meter while reading aloud to their kids.

Plot Preview:
Isabella has always dreamed of playing an angel in the annual Nativity play, so when she sees the call for auditions, she is quite excited and rehearses all her lines well. But when she gets selected to play the drummer girl – a role with no lines, she is heartbroken. Why is this Christmas so disappointing? Is there any way it will improve?
The story comes to us in Isabella’s first-person POV.

A few years ago, our Children’s Choir team was putting up a choral nativity performance in our parish. One big hurdle during casting was that there was no “eligible little man” for the drummer boy; all our participating boys were either too old or too young (or too incompetent 🤐) for the role. So we changed the narrative and turned the character into a girl. The minute I saw this title listed on NetGalley, I recollected that glorious day, when our little drummer girl drummed her way into the congregation’s heart.
Unfortunately, the protagonist of this story wasn’t a fan of playing a drummer girl. It’s not the same as being an angel with a sparkling white gown, beautiful wings, and a golden halo, right? But her dad’s loving wisdom and his pre-Christmas gift help Isabella realise that God has a plan for everyone, even if it doesn’t match the plan we have for ourselves.
I liked Isabella as the protagonist. Her excitement and her dismay comes across strongly on the page. I totally love her spunk! It is so nice to see a female lead in a Christmas story, and also to see her father be the guiding voice instead of the usual depiction of mothers playing this role.
The storyline is quite good, and if read by parent/guardian and child together, it will offer plenty of moments for laughter as well as reflection. It highlights togetherness, perseverance, handling of disappointment, belief in the Creator’s will, and the sanctity of Christmas. I love that this Christmas book focusses more on the birth of the Saviour than on material considerations such as decorations and parties and gifts.
That said, I wish there had been a greater focus on the ‘drummer girl’ part. A good chunk of the story is spent in offering other background details that aren’t necessary. The main drummer girl scene was barely a page long. There was nothing about rehearsals, or about how Isabella went from “drum-noise-maker” to the perfect drummer girl.
The funniest scenes are the ones where Isabella is practising her ‘rum pum pum’ on her new drum. ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ is one of my favourite carols (the BoneyM version being my preferred one), but even I am not sure if baby Jesus was startled by the sudden banging next to his manger-cradle on that serene night. 😅 Seeing Isabella bang her drum with gusto was hilarious to watch.
The illustrations are adorable, as can be seen from the cover art itself. The full-colour graphics have a crayon-kind of effect, and appear bright and Christmassy, which works excellently for the story. I especially love the way little Isabella was sketched with her wild red curls and wide smile. Her pup Maggie is a cute addition.
All this makes the book sound like a great option. But the one place where it really lost my stars was in the writing. As it is, I am not a big fan of rhythmic prose in stories, even if rhymes are helpful to kids. Few picture books these days actually retain accuracy of meter so the text is rarely smooth while reading aloud. This book has a clear rhyme pattern (ABCB), but the rhymes are often forced in just to meet the pattern and the meter gets sacrificed. When there are four lines in a verse, the number of syllables in the alternate pairs needs to match so that kids understand the exact beat of the rhyme. Having one long and one short sentence in the pair just doesn’t work. Moreover, adding random lines to a verse just to complete the rhyme doesn’t add value to the reading experience. (At least for me. I am sure there are many readers who don’t even bother about syllables and can read such text expertly. I unfortunately cannot.) I am sure I would have enjoyed this story far better if it were in prose (or in proper metered couplets).
Overall, this picture book has a lovely story with an adorable protagonist, sweet illustrations, and nice Christian values. But the writing style with the lack of meter and forced rhymes didn’t work for me at all. This won't be a hurdle to every reader, so you can take a call according to your comfort level with random rhyming. The book is aimed at kids aged 3-8 years.
3 stars.
My thanks to Baker Books for providing the DRC of “The Little Drummer Girl” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a sweet Christmas story with a theme of hope and adapting your dreams to what God has planned instead of what you had planned. When Isabella tries out for the Christmas play, she only practices for one part. She wants to be an angel, so she puts her heart and soul into memorizing what she has to do for that part. But when the roles are announced, Isabella is not an angel but a drummer girl. This was not the role she planned for, the one she wanted with all of her heart. The story teaches us all a lesson about how to see the good in things when our plans have to change. It also teaches us about the true meaning of Christmas and even has family support and love in the tale. Good story for children ages 3-5, but I think the older children will enjoy reading it to their siblings and can also learn from the story’s timeless lessons. This wonderful story will make a great gift for the precious child in your life. I read the ARC to my grandchildren and they really got into the story and enjoyed discussing it afterwards and what they could learn from it. Valuable lessons in a well-crafted and beautifully illustrated story!
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Little Drummer Girl by Sheila Walsh is a beautifully inspiring story that combines faith, courage, and the power of music in a way that resonates deeply with readers of all ages. Walsh’s writing is heartfelt and engaging, drawing readers into the journey of her characters with warmth and authenticity. The narrative skillfully balances moments of tension and triumph, showing how perseverance and hope can transform lives. Her characters are richly developed, making their struggles and victories feel personal and relatable. The book’s themes of trust, resilience, and following one’s calling are woven seamlessly into the story, offering both entertainment and meaningful life lessons. The Little Drummer Girl is a compelling and uplifting read that leaves readers inspired, encouraged, and moved.

This delightful children's book beautifully captures the spirit of Christmas through the story of a little girl who dreams of playing the angel in her church's pageant but ends up as the 'drummer girl.' It gently weaves in the true meaning of Christmas and highlights the significance of Christ's birth. It will be perfect for children ages 4-8. This lovely Christmas story both celebrates the reason for the season and captures children's hearts.
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

Isabella very much wants to be in the Christmas play at her church in Tennessee. She prayed hard to play the Announcing Angel, but was given the part of the little drummer girl instead. Daddy gave her a present even before Christmas and it turned out to be something VERY special. And so is this book!
The illustrations by Marcin Piwowarski are complex, imaginative, and FUN in bright colors.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library! Avail Nov 4, 2025
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on PDF from Baker Books via NetGalley. *****review #NetGalley #bookbub #goodreads #storygraph @librarythingofficial
#TheLittleDrummerGirl #SheilaWalsh and illustrated by @Marcin Piwowarski @readbakerbooks #picturebookart #kidlit #storytelling #Christmas #illustration #childrensbooks #nativityplay #BN #BAM @waterstones #thriftbooks #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #indiebookstoresca @childrensbookcouncil

The Little Drummer Girl is a children’s book written by Sheila Walsh.

Summary: Isabella has always wanted to be the angel in the town’s Christmas play.

She can’t wait to be a star!

But when things don’t turn out the way she expects, will she realize who Christmas is really all about?

My Thoughts: This book is OK. It has a good message about dealing with disappointment and learning about Christmas.

The bright, painterly illustrations are also perfect for smaller children.

But, I am not a fan of this type of rhyme scheme, and it wasn’t a book I would want to read again and again. This was more of a one-time read for me.

I would like to thank Baker Books for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

An adorably illustrated story of a little girl who dreams of being the angel in the nativity play, but ends up with the role of drummer girl instead. She is plucky, she is cute, and she gets the gravity of giving what she can to Jesus. I thought it was darling. I did find the rhyming scheme a little difficult to read in places, so that did detract from my enjoyment.

One of the main points of this book I loved was that it's about a little drummer GIRL because usually every time you hear the story, it's about the little drummer BOY. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just think the change is nice). Of course, the most important aspect of this book is that it's about Jesus' birth. The story is adorable, and the illustrations are colorful and very eye-catching. I can see this being a favorite Christmas book families will pass down from generation to generation. I know my grandchildren would love it. Recommended.

I'm always on the lookout for Christmas books that focus on the meaning of Christmas to share with my kids. I was excited to read this ' unexpected' Christmas story. The beautifully-illustrated children's book follows a little girl who wants to play the angel in her church's pageant. Instead, she gets cast as the 'drummer girl'. The true meaning of Christmas and a focus on Christ's birth is sprinkled throughout the book. I wish there was a little bit more. From the title, I thought it would go into a little more about being a 'drummer girl' and how that's special and Christ-centered, but that part was a little short to me. This book seems like an interesting story for kids with several sweet moments to focus on Christ and the reason for the season. I do like that the book brings up childhood disappointment over not getting the role you want in a play. Very relatable! So it's nice to see the main character work through that. As a mom of little girls, I also like to see this young female main character learn a lesson and celebrate the holiday in a nice way.

Rating: 4 stars
Content warnings: None
Age range: It says 3-5 years old, but I think even my 7 year old would enjoy it. I would maybe even say ages 4-8.
Recommend: If you want a Christmas book that mentions the reason for the season and pulls kids in with an interesting plot, yes!
NetGalley: I read this book as an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.