It's So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to-Bed Book

by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Tony Fucile (Illustrator)

Overview

A silly, noisy bedtime book that will have readers squealing, croaking, and laughing along before settling down for a quiet night's sleep!

It's time for bed, but one little mouse just can't get to sleep—it's TOO QUIET! However, the night is actually full of sounds, from the croak of the bullfrog to the howl of a coyote on a distant hill. As the rhythmic symphony of nighttime noises build in this rollicking read-aloud, the mouse starts to wonder whether he wouldn't like a little MORE quiet.

• From the bestselling author of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series
• Sweet illustrations by renowned artist Tony Fucile
• A hilarious read-aloud perfect for bedtime or story time

Little readers will delight in the humor and interactivity of It's So Quiet—which concludes by encouraging an appreciation of nighttime's soothing quiet.

• Children's books for kids ages 3–5
• Funny, rhyming picture book
• Perfect for kids who love animals and animal noises

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452145440
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	02/23/2021
Pages:	56
Sales rank:	627,059
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD410L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Sherri Duskey Rinker is the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train. She loves cooking, gardening, and old oil paintings. Sherri lives with her photographer husband, two sons, one dog, and one hedgehog in the Chicago area. Find out more about her at SherriDuskeyRinker.com.

Tony Fucile spent more than twenty years designing and animating characters for Disney and Pixar, working on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, among others. Tony was born in San Francisco and currently resides nearby with his wife, Stacey, their two kids, Eli and Elinor, and two Chihuahuas, Pedro and Kahlua.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/08/2021

This bedtime book by Rinker opens at the close of a day, with creatures settling down in a country setting. An anthropomorphic mother mouse is kept up by her exasperated child, who exclaims, “It’s TOO QUIET!” But Mama explains that “the small sweet sounds of nighttime/ will whisper you to sleep.” And one by one, they begin to resound: a bullfrog’s deep “CRRR-OAK,” the soft “WHOOSH” of the breeze through the trees. As the barrage of nighttime noises reaches a crescendo, little Mouse again feels irked, but for a new reason that draws laughs. Onoma-topoetic words add fun to Rinker’s rhyming readaloud, while digital illustrations by Fucile offer accurate representations of each sound, as well as of a sweetly irritable child who is eager to get some shut-eye. Younger readers will enjoy the easy repetition, and may even begin to find comfort in real-life quiet. Ages 3–5. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Onoma-topoetic words add fun to Rinker's rhyming readaloud, while digital illustrations by Fucile offer accurate representations of each sound, as well as of a sweetly irritable child who is eager to get some shut-eye. Younger readers will enjoy the easy repetition, and may even begin to find comfort in real-life quiet."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[T]his tale is a cacophonous triumph on the path to rest. [It's So Quiet] is fantastic story time choice."-School Library Journal

"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."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Throughout [It's So Quiet], 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."-Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

01/01/2021

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

School Library Journal

★ 2021-01-13
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)

Kirkus Reviews