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

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. [em](Feb.) [/em]