Parents' Guide to

The Loud Book

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Fun picture book about the ups and downs of noisy moments.

Book Deborah Underwood Picture Book 2011
The Loud Book Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Through simple text and illustration, this book explores different kinds of loud: Loud can be as fun as a parade in a park, as embarrassing as the clatter of your dropped lunch tray in the cafeteria -- or as awe-inspiring as crickets chirping during a camp-out under the stars.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say (1):

This companion to The Quiet Book offers kids plenty to laugh at -- and talk about. A belly-flopping beaver is sure to get them giggling, while a bird's shocked face as he drops his marbles in the library will help kids feel empathy (and help them talk about how they feel when they make mistakes). Young readers will have fun carefully looking at the details in the illustrations, including artwork on a school cafeteria wall, or a mischievous squirrel throwing pine cones at the animals as they walk to school. There are a few illustrations that don't quite work: Kids may be initially puzzled by the connection between two kids in baseball uniforms staring at a broken window -- and a corresponding image of animals in costume running as the ball makes an "unexpected entrance." For the most part, though, this is a silly and sweet book young kids will want to return to. And while it's about noise, it begins and ends with a bunny in bed, so it could still be a good fit for naptime and bedtime.

As in The Quiet Book, Liwska's matte pencil-drawn illustrations of animals have an old-fashioned look. Young kids will have fun carefully looking at the details in the illustrations, including artwork on a school cafeteria wall, or a mischievous squirrel throwing pine cones at the animals as they walk to school.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different kinds of loud. Have you experienced any of the things that happened in the book? What's your favorite kind of loud? What's your least favorite?

  • Parents could help their kids figure out how they would handle some of the more unpleasant kinds of loud. What would you do if your friend dropped her lunch tray at school? How about if you threw a baseball through a window?

Book Details

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