In the Quiet, Noisy Woods

November 1, 2018
Sibling wolf pups leave their pack to explore the forest amid the raucous sounds of its various creatures.The quiet woods can be a noisy place if you stop to listen to the myriad voices calling out. The constant "chorus of chirps and clicks and chits that peep and repeat" is a conversation of sorts. "Who's there? / Over here, over here. / Stay away! / You there? / Feed me! Feed me! / That's mine! / All's well...." Frisky wolf pups bound through the forest playing and chasing each other, adding their "yip-yap-yowls" to the "chit-chitter-chattering" of squirrels, the "stomp-stomp-stamps" of a buck, and the "scree-scree-screeches" of a hawk. The rhythmic, lyrical text builds cumulatively from page to page, adding the onomatopoeic vocalizations as each new animal is introduced, at times presenting a tongue-twisting challenge. It all continues until a long, loud howl from the pups' father elicits the pups' "yip-yip-yippeeeeee! grr-row-row! row-row!" response, signaling a joyful reunion of the wolf family against a crescendo of boisterous banter. Lovely realistic paintings in earthy hues of greens, browns, and yellows evoke hectic daytime woodland activity before eventually settling down to a soothing nighttime conclusion. Pups snuggle with their mother, and "All's well."A visually attractive rendition with an intensifying, onomatopoeic text that repays the practice it requires for reading aloud. (Picture book. 5-7)

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PreS-A pair of wolf pups learn the woods are not very quiet. In fact, they discover the woods are teeming with many different critters who make all kinds of sounds. Rich vocabulary works well with the story while keeping it at the right level for children. For example, text reads, "A turkey nestled atop her clutch of eggs, suddenly, fwap-fwap-flaps her wings when the chickadee's chick-a-dee, chic-a-dee-de-dee and the squirrels' chit-chitter-chatter tell her about the yip-yap-yowling, grr-ruff-fuff-racing pups playing wolf tag in their quiet, noisy woods." Gorgeous illustrations capture nature's beauty. A section at the end ("Get to Know These Quiet, Noisy Creatures") offers information about the wolf, squirrel, chickadee, wild turkey, fox, deer, mourning dove, and hawk that were featured in the story. VERDICT Highly recommended as a title to introduce children to the wonder of nature, well supported with beautiful illustrations.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA