Sound

June 1, 2020
This illustrated nonfiction primer presents a compelling foray into the many aspects of sound and how it shapes the world. In often poetic language, the married team defines sound and then differentiates between music and noise. Aided by intricate digital infographics done in muted pink, teal, and yellow, the narrative surveys topics including volume, language, and deafness, aptly accompanied by a full spread illustration of the one-handed manual alphabet used in Latinate finger spelling such as American Sign Language. Though the scientific doesn’t always cohere with moments of philosophical lyricism (“Sometimes it is hard for us to understand/ one another, and then we feel lonely”) and the scope of information makes this unwieldy as a leisure read, budding acousticians will find it a worthy resource. Ages 8–12.

September 15, 2020
A visual survey of the aural world, originally published in Ukraine. Despite the ostensible topic, it's the art and page design that occupy center stage in this large-format showcase. Done by and large in montages with much use of hot and Day-Glo hues, each eye-catching scene features a mix of flat or minimally modeled images of musical instruments and other sound producers, animal or human silhouettes, and graphic representations of sonic waves, lines, bursts, or blasts. Following a hard-to-parse observation that sound "attracts our attention, we listen for it--and then, we hear it" with a diagram of a human ear, double-page spreads arranged in no obvious order tally, for example, types of sound from natural to body noises, kinds of human singing voices and recording formats, how sound is measured, music-related jobs, spoken language and sign language. Most of the captions are printed in a lightweight, low-contrast typeface only a bit darker than the backgrounds, and some seem to have been arbitrarily swept to the backmatter, replaced by asterisks. After a thunderous rainfall evoked by solid, polychrome lines of streaming onomatopoeia, the volume is switched to low with a "mute sound" icon on an empty spread that leads to closing scenes of a couple embracing, a pregnant mother, and a young child toddling out "to listen, to hear, and to perceive our world." Jazzy, loud illustrations command--and merit--attention but can't hide a higgledy-piggledy presentation. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

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November 20, 2020

Gr 2-5-This title is a silent symphony of superlative noise. The text completely and comprehensively describes the qualities, sources, and uses of sound. This vibrant picture book is particularly wonderful when the text focuses on music and melody; the music of life is everywhere, from speech to nature, from trombones to gramophones, from rumbling bellies to crying babies. The absence of sound is explored as well-communicating in sign language, meditating, or simply being present in quiet moments with loved ones. The interplay of stillness and activity is at the core of this aesthetic delight, which buzzes with neon energy and features a logical narrative flow enhanced by beautiful flourishes. This book is a deliberate visual project, as much an experiment in graphic design as a representation of its subject. VERDICT A joyful moment of reflection on our noisy, cacophonous world. A great discussion-starter for elementary school children, perhaps best experienced with the guidance of a parent or teacher.-Emilia Packard, Austin

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