Buzz! boom! bang! The book of sounds

This wordless picture book contains many pages and limitless potential for noise-making. "This book is meant to be read aloud!" quips an introduction that encourages readers to "make the sound that you see" on every page. Bold shapes and vivid colors help set the stage for noises within the amusing, smart compositions. Motion lines convey energy and indicate where sounds might generate -- firing up from a horse's hooves as they strike the ground or emanating from a balloon as a needle bursts it. Each page leads seamlessly into the next through subtle sensory connections. One double-page spread prompts readers to imagine the sound of a person bicycling down a hill. The following page conjures the sound a flat bicycle tire makes as it loses air, while the facing page shows a hissing snake. What sound might an ocean liner make, and then, what about a cow? In spite of the very different subjects, the compositions of these two pages mirror each other delightfully. Some of the visuals suggest very loud noises, while others encourage quieter sounds. The book includes everyday sounds, silly sounds, serious sounds, and sounds from an imaginary world. Each pairing offers opportunities to experiment with noise and make new and unusual connections, providing many opportunities for sharing one on one or with a group. Julie RoachNovember/December 2025 p.48 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Originally published in Germany, this compendium of silent sequences begs young readers to provide those sorely missing sound effects. There's no denying the first sentence of this title: "THIS BOOK IS MEANT TO BE READ ALOUD!" Fear not. Further instructions inform readers precisely what they should do: Read each sound that they see. The catch? The book's creator has left every image wordless; it's up to readers to think up the sound effects. Some sequences prove to be difficult to encapsulate in sound (what does licking a lemon sound like?). Others are quite obvious, and the tale's delight lies in the pairings of visuals on each two-page spread. The buzz of race cars around a track mimics the buzz of flies around a small pile of poop. And yes, a bit of bawdiness comes into play, as when the fizzled explosion of a cannon is accompanied by an image of a surprised-looking adult unexpectedly farting. The brightly colored art makes bold interpretations of simple scenes, but it's this very cartoonishness that offers young readers clarity on what's being portrayed. The sequences are also quite intentional, deftly leading from one sound to the next, as with one passage that begins with someone screaming and ends with another character lightheartedly jeering at readers. Figures encompass a range of skin tones. An eclectic, original book in which creativity is key.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.