Bim Bam Boom

Mischievous and cacophonous, this elegantly illustrated board book features a growing cast of young kitchen musicians. A gray owl sits on the floor, using wooden spoons to clang away on a pot. “Can’t you see? I’m making music,” the owl explains to another bird, who adds pot-lid cymbals (“tish tish tish”) to the owl’s “bim bam bim bam boom.” More birds arrive, and Stehr fills the pages with color-coordinated sound words. A large owl, apparently overwhelmed by the noise, takes away the utensils and pans, but quickly returns with a freshly baked cake as compensation. It’s a rowdy ode to low-tech music making and play, with an ending that suggests more household chaos is in store. Ages 1–5. (Jan.)