The Sound of Silence

May 23, 2016
On his way to school in noisy Tokyo, Yoshio asks a street musician what her favorite sound is. “The most beautiful sound is the sound of ma, of silence,” she replies. Yoshio spends the rest of the book trying to listen for silence in his city—a tall order—and finds it early the next morning when he’s lost in a book: “Suddenly, in the middle of a page, he heard it. No sounds of footsteps, no people chattering, no radios, no bamboo.... It was between and underneath every sound.” Kuo (Daisy and Josephine) draws with an architect’s precise line, alternating gallery-worthy spreads of Tokyo’s crowds and buildings with domestic scenes of Yoshio and his family. Debut author Goldsaito’s final passages about ma successfully illuminate the term and could be used to teach children to meditate, the way Goldsaito’s father taught her, as she explains in an afterword. Young readers, however, may be more impressed by the way Yoshio wanders freely and safely alone through the world’s most populous city. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

Starred review from May 15, 2016
Like a Zen koan, this story draws readers' attention to silence, that vanishingly rare attribute of modern family life.Yoshio, wearing the classic bright cap and backpack of the Japanese pupil, sets jauntily off on his way to school through the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Along the way he meets an elderly woman playing the koto, a traditional stringed instrument, who tells him that "the most beautiful sound" is in fact ma, or silence. Puzzling over this conundrum as he moves through his noise-filled day, Yoshio eventually becomes aware that silence is always there too, if only one learns how to notice it. Every detail of this book brings Japan vividly to life, from popular storefronts and cartoon characters to commuters wearing surgical masks and children removing their outside shoes at school. Japanese is rich in onomatopoeic sounds, and Goldsaito and Kuo convey this linguistic quirk to English readers both visually and verbally. The elegantly expressive text and illustrations together create an immersive sensory experience for readers.An inviting tale that will stretch inquisitive and observant young minds--and may even lead children to a greater appreciation of that golden commodity, silence. (Picture book. 5-9)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from July 1, 2016

K-Gr 4-On a rainy, bustling morning in Tokyo, a young boy is surrounded by a symphony of sounds: boots squishing, raindrops pattering, cars rushing, and, to his delight, a koto player producing a range of high, low, and "twangy and twinkling" notes as she tunes her instrument. When Yoshio asks the musician what her favorite sound is, she answers, "Ma," the silence between sounds. Intrigued by her comment, the boy spends his day in search of the elusive ma. Kuo's art provides the backdrop for the child's quest in scenes of contemporary Tokyo, from the high-speed Shinkansen trains that pass through its stations ("whoosh") to the bamboo grove near the school playground that whispers "takeh-takeh-taheh." Most of the images (in pen, with color added digitally) span spreads, offering wide-angle views of the city, but there are a few single-page pictures, proffering their own unique perspectives. The art is rich in detail and features a variety of concentrated colors that give way to muted grays and browns when suddenly, while reading, Yoshi experiences ma, something that feels peaceful, "still inside him." In an author's note, Goldsaito acknowledges the influence of the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, who believed that "without silence, sound would be meaningless." VERDICT This book will be especially welcome in settings that teach yoga or mindfulness, but its message and striking art will be appreciated anywhere the din of daily life can overwhelm.-Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Grades 1-3 Tokyo is alive with noise, and young Yoshio revels in it. When he encounters a musician (a koto player) on the street, he asks her what her favorite sound is. Ma, she tells him: the sound of silence. Confused, Yoshio starts trying to hear it, but it seems like there is always sound, whether it's the distant hum of the city or the sound of wind in the bamboo. Where, he wonders, is silence? Yoshio's journey, rendered in pen and digital color, beautifully captures the bustle of Tokyo on a rainy day. Yoshio, easily distinguished by his bright yellow umbrella and rain boots, darts energetically from page to page. Later, the images grow simpler as he grows more introspective, trying to find that elusive silence. This is best for larger collections, as the concept as a whole may be a little too abstract for some younger readers to grasp, though an afterword elaborates on the Japanese idea of ma for those who, like Yoshio, are ready to hear it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)