Strum and Drum A Merry Little Quest

A pair of Christmas tree ornaments set out on the merry adventure of a lifetime in this imaginative picture book about the inner lives of holiday decorations.

All is quiet in the forest as the Great Star rises in the distance, and two little musicians, Strum and Drum, wake up from a deep slumber and set out to make the most joyous music they can! But as Strum strums his guitar and Drum drums her drum on their way to the North, some mysterious obstacles fill their paths . . . flickering lanterns, bubbles of glass, a silver waterfall, a tiny house, dangerous animals . . . and a wooden man with a toothy grin warns them of a beast with green eyes lying in wait. For this is no ordinary forest — it's a Christmas tree, on Christmas Eve, and Strum, Drum and all their new friends are ornaments! But when the green-eyed beast strikes and sends them tumbling out of the “forest,” Strum and Drum’s quest to reach the Great Star seems doomed . . . until a little boy setting out milk and cookies for Santa spots them. 

JASHAR AWAN is an author-illustrator who graduated from the Pratt Institute in New York and worked as a freelance illustrator for nearly twenty years before turning his talents to literature for children. His debut picture book, What a Lucky Day!, met with critical acclaim. His most recent book is Only Ants for Andy. During his time in New York, Jashar was a frequent art contributor to The New Yorker, particularly their "Goings On About Town" section, and has also illustrated for the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Wall Street Journal and Dark Horse Comics. In December 2020, he was profiled by Publishers Weekly in their "Fall 2020 Flying Starts" as one of the most promising children's debut authors. A longtime New Yorker, Jashar now lives in Ohio with his wife and son.