cover image The Noisemakers

The Noisemakers

Judith Caseley. Greenwillow Books, $14 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-688-09394-5

``Sam and Laura liked noise. Lots of noise.'' And these two young friends are adept at making it. Lots of it. They imitate animals when in each other's homes and make drum noises at the library; at a restaurant they clink cups, spoons--and even their grilled-cheese sandwiches; and in a department store they mimic the fortissimo sounds of airplanes and gorillas. At last their mothers bring them to the ideal place to act out all of their high-volume impulses: a playground, where they are praised rather than reprimanded for their screaming, growling and shouting. Less creative and less memorable than some of Caseley's ( Dear Annie ; When Grandpa Came to Stay ) previous picture books, this tale is nonetheless chipper and amusingly illustrated. Tempted by the onomatopoeic words here (``rat-a-tat-tat,'' ``zoom,'' ``pop''), beginning readers might just find themselves reading out loud--noisily, of course. Ages 4-up. (Aug.)