It's So Quiet

January 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 1-Actually, Rinker's point is that it's not that quiet-from the sounds of wildlife surrounding this farm to a grandparent snoring on the porch and an already sleepless little mouse that shows no sign of resting any time soon. Bullfrogs. Crickets. A hound dog. Even the wind through the trees keeps Mouse awake. The illustrations, from the title page on, visually demonstrate the crescendo of squeaks, breezes, barn owl, and more, until even the youngest onlookers will have their hands over their ears. A primal holler into the din, from Mouse's own mouth, dissipates the sounds instantly, and only the "shah, shah, shah" of the moths around a lone light whisper to the night. Even if Mouse is a stand-in for sleepless parents, this tale is a cacophonous triumph on the path to rest. VERDICT This is fantastic story time choice.-Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2021
Bedtime serves up a racket for a mouse whose mama has settled him down to sleep. At first, with only the accompaniment of whirring moths and the click of a light, it's too peaceful for the young murine; he complains--loudly. Mama explains that if he listens to "the small sweet sounds of nighttime," slumber will come. The outdoor symphony begins innocently with the sounds of a frog, crickets, the screen door, a dog's thumping tail, a breeze, and Granddad's snoring. Then it crescendos, growing more raucous as the night--and page turns--proceeds. This is clarified in print, as numerous onomatopoeic words, representing a plethora of cacophonous noises occurring simultaneously, are incorporated into the text in increasingly larger fonts. With various sounds gaining momentum (these beg to be read aloud animatedly), Mouse repeatedly opens his window, wondering what's happening. When he's finally over the clamor, he roars for silence. He needs sleep! Peace is restored...or is it? This uproarious offering, narrated in jaunty rhymes, will evoke lots of laughter. Kids will love repeating the sound effects in loud voices and may be inspired to create their own versions of animal sounds and household squeaks and creaks. The appealing, energetic illustrations, set against mostly dark backgrounds, feature textured, frequently off-kilter lines that add and amplify energy. Mouse and his family are delightfully expressive. Reassuring; great for sleepers who need the right balance of quiet and sound at bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6)

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Starred review from February 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 *Starred Review* The author of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (2011) leaves the clamor of big rigs behind to focus on the noises, mostly tiny, just outside an old timey-looking house in the woods. It's nighttime; a grandfather mouse in a rocking chair and his hound dog doze on the porch while, upstairs, a mother mouse puts a little one to bed. It's so quiet you can hear the "shah shah shah" of moth wings brushing against the porch light--until the stillness is shattered by the little mouse screaming, "It's too quiet!" More sounds come in from outside, including the chirping of crickets, the squeal of the old screen door, the dog's tapping tail, and the grandfather's snoring. When the little mouse hears the "A-woo!" of a faraway coyote, he opens the window, alarmed, and all the sounds of the night, in a wonderful comic return, come pouring into his room. The little mouse shuts the window, relieved that it's "so quiet" again. Throughout, the soft, rhyming text and the illustrations, which are like chalk outlines of the noise-making creatures, highlight the stars of this book, the sounds themselves. Great fun, and a great way to make children aware of the sounds that surround them.

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