The Loudness of Sam

In this refreshing, rambunctious book, stentorian Sam goes to visit his aunt, exchanging his doting parents' home for ""the big city,"" a world of libraries, restaurants and the (comparatively) repressed Aunt Tillie. His permissive parents never hush him: when he laughs for joy, his parents say, ""He sounds like a garbage truck slamming into an accordion factory!"" and ""Beautiful, isn't it?"" From his foray into society, Sam doesn't learn that children should be seen and not heard; instead, his aunt learns not to hold in her emotions. The giant mouths and huge letters of Proimos's (Joe's Wish) cartoon artwork more than match the timbre of the story. His neon colors, exploding off the page, make a visual noise of their own, trumpeting the theme throughout Sam's story. Most pleasing of all is Proimos's choice to expose a tight-lipped society rather than to tame emotive Sam. Like Aunt Tillie, readers will discover that Sam's volume is contagious--they will laugh out LOUD! Ages 4-8. (Mar.)