The Quiet Book

K-Gr 1This gentle picture book subtly explores the many different kinds of "quiet." Bears, rabbits, porcupines, mice, owls, moose, and wombats are depicted in situations that effectuate the notion of quiet throughout the daily life of a young child. For example, the "first one awake quiet" shows a rabbit doing his morning stretches. In "Right before you yell, 'SURPRISE!' quiet," three animal friends crouch behind a couch. "Making a wish quiet" presents a contemplative porcupine sitting on a stool wearing a party hat. A bear and a rabbit playing tag with the waves at the beach symbolize, "Best friends don't need to talk quiet." The soft, matte feel of the illustrations, created with pencil, are digitally enhanced, and are priceless. The animals' facial expressions and body language are endearing. White space is used creatively to emphasize the mostly gray or brown palette. All of the scenarios are child-centric and realistic. A delightful and enchanting choice for storytime or sharing one-on-one."Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

There are many kinds of quiet, Underwood ("Pirate Mom") writes, and this treasure of a bookwhich is appropriately gentle in both its understated text and artworkcatalogues many sorts of quiet that readers will recognize instantly. Some are lovely (First one awake quiet; Lollipop quiet); some less so (First look at your new hairstyle quiet); and some are out-and-out problems (Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall quiet). Throughout, Liwska's ("Little Panda") subtly engaging illustrations, single-page vignettes in muted rusts, greens, and browns, imagine a community of young, delicately furred animals who ably reflect the emotions that each type of quiet elicits. A young moose's antlers peek provocatively from behind a swiveling office chair (Hide-and-seek quiet); a bear holds its paw over its eyes as a nurse prepares a hypodermic (Pretending you're invisible quiet); and an owl looks upwards with awe and clasps its wing to its chest (First snowfall quiet). Underwood's taxonomy of quiet will evoke soft smiles from listeners who are getting ready for bedtime kiss quiet (and possibly, even later, for What flashlight? quiet). Ages 35. "(Apr.)" Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.