What's That Noise? (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this sophisticated but rather chilly presentation, a boy with gleaming blue eyes and closely cropped black hair is awakened one night by a strange noise, rendered visually as a thin, smokelike ribbon of letters, which flies through his bedroom like an angry hornet. "What's that noise?" the boy says. Newcomer Carman follows the narrator as he thinks about what its source might be. He looks out the window at a Maxfield Parrish-like portrait of a suburban neighborhood. After imagining the strange sound emanating from a lawn mower and from a UFO, he wonders, as he puts his hand on the doorknob, "Could there be a monster in my closet?" In the next spread, a monster with five eyes, broken teeth and a snake-sharp tongue leers out of the closet at him. The artist cushions the horrors of the boy's fantasies with soft, slightly smudged renderings in black-and-white pastel, while crisp, hard-edged paintings tinted an eerie blue depict the boy's night-time reality. "It sounds like a bear in Mom and Dad's bedroom," the boy decides. The specter of a colossal polar bear looming over his parents' bed does not deter him. He draws himself up ("I've got to warn them") and the source of the noise is finally revealed (it's Dad, snoring). The haunting illustrations and cool atmosphere may be off-putting for some readers, but the technical skill and careful pacing of this picture book joke may well fulfill readers' expectations. Ages 5-8. (July)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-"What's that noise?" asks a wide-eyed boy from his bed as a racket, represented by swirling alphabet letters, invades his bedroom in the middle of the night. He investigates various possible sources. No, it isn't coming from his neighbor engaging in a midnight lawn-mowing project; there is no UFO landing in his backyard; no monster is growling in his closet; and no octopus is entwining its slithery arms around the bathtub. Then it must be a huge bear come to attack his parents, but when he goes into their bedroom to warn them, he finds the real culprit. Young readers will soon mimic the boy's question as it grows in intensity: "WHAT'S THAT NOISE?" The spare text comes to life in the illustrations. Spreads rendered in black and white depict such fantastical scenes as a fire-breathing lawn mower; a many-eyed, salivating monster; and a huge bear, while paintings with unusual perspectives reveal the real-life objects that elicit the child's incredible imaginings. Just the right amount of suspense and a surprise ending make this story a satisfying read. Pair it with Jackie Koller's No Such Thing (Boyds Mills, 1997) for another look at things that are not what they seem to be.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (July 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375810528
• ISBN-13: 978-0375810527
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,250,316 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Night Noise....., November 18, 2002

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

A little boy, awakened in the middle of the night by a noise he can't quite identify, searches his home for its source. Could it be a neighbor mowing his lawn, or a UFO landing in the yard? Is there a monster in the closet, an octopus in the bathtub, or a bear in his parent's bedroom. Bravely, he decides to find out.....William Carman's minimal, repetitive text sets the stage for his evocative and creative illustrations. The youngster's real world is rendered in soft, nightime tones with the noise as a string of letters, swirling and buzzing around the page. His scary, imagined scenes of disasters with monsters, aliens, machines, and huge animals are given a surreal treatment in ominous black and white. Together word and art help take the fear and mystery out of a dreaded middle-of-the-night noise. With a delightful twist at the end to set everything right, What's That Noise is perfect for preschoolers, and makes a light and humorous bedtime read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!!!, September 17, 2002

By	Elissa (Tacoma, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is amazing! Each illustration is it's own work of art and the story line is captivating and surprising. I enjoy books for my child that are complex enough to stimulate, but simple enough for a child. I highly recommend this book for all ages. It is truly a childrens masterpiece!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wordless picture book of bravery and discovery, November 15, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

It's a quiet night, until a little boy hears a mysterious noise which requires him to bravely investigate. The possibilities are crossed off during the course of his search in What's That Noise?, a highly recommended, wordless picture book of bravery and discovery.