Swish and Squeak's Noisy Day

April 1, 2017
Swish, a young mouse with big ears (even for a mouse), hears all kinds of noises throughout her day--many produced by her little sister, Squeak. With such cute (and satisfyingly sonorous) names, it isn't surprising that these mouselings charm with their bright eyes, triangular faces, pink ears, and little bulb noses. Ballet pinks, dusty-rose reds, fantastic fuchsias, teal blues, and plum purples establish a decidedly soft palette that makes for a cozy read. While curled up with these dear pictures, readers will enjoy enunciating and articulating the myriad sounds Swish encounters during her day: "Ring RING Ring," "eeeek," "munch munch," "Lalalalalalala." Integrated into the illustrations, the onomatopoeic sounds' varied capitalization, elongation, repetition, color, and placement allow them to trill above the page in just the right pitch. Siblings will empathize with Swish when she mistakes her sister's chewing for an alligator's chomping, her footfall for an elephant's thundering steps--and also when little Squeak calls out, "I'm here, Swish," from across a crowded playground. Or whispers, "I'm scared," in the dark. Sweet, sisterly sounds in a cacophonous day. (Picture book. 4-6)

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July 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Readers tag along for an adventurous day shared by mouse sisters Swish and Squeak. Their day is marked by the many wonderful sounds that accompany their activities, from the crunch of breakfast cereal to the stomps of imaginative play to the ring ring of the school bell, and the perfect quiet of the library. The sounds vary, but all have positive and creative associations. Swish and Squeak are the best of friends, and the soft, pastel colored illustrations echo that sweetness by adding fun details to each spread. Swish and Squeak's world is enchanting. Swish stands upon a spool of thread to reach the sink, and the matchstick box is the perfect size for a mouse wagon, as is cheese, the lunch of choice for studious little mice. VERDICT An upbeat celebration of sound and sisterhood; recommended for most picture book collections.-Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2017
Grades K-2 Mouse sisters Swish and Squeak go through a typical day: waking up, going to school, visiting the library, reading a bedtime story, and going to sleep. The unique perspective presented in this tale, however, is the emphasis on the sounds made during all these activities. Each softly but vividly colored two-page spread highlights another set of sounds. It's too dark to see when Swish wakes up, but she hears a clock ticking, birds, and a loud crunching noise. Fantasy and reality mix in a humorous manner when Swish thinks the crunches could be an alligator chomping. The next illustration wordlessly reveals it is only her little sister noisily eating cereal. The stomping she hears is not an elephant, and she does not have a race car driver following her to school. (It's always Squeak.) After school, a moment of panic is resolved aurally. Going to pick up Squeak, Swish cannot see her, but Squeak hears Swish calling. Small mice characters with large, slightly exaggerated ears are the perfect match for this sonic story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)