White Noise: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages [Board book]

David A. Carter (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

In this final installment of the critically acclaimed color series, modern and elegant paper structures create mesmerizing displays certain to stimulate the senses. Poetic text guides readers through bold, colorful paper structures that create their own unique sounds. Children of all ages will love experiencing the art on each page over and over again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up—Carter's fifth installment in his innovative, color-themed paper-sculpture series incorporates another level of sensory interaction for readers to take note of and explore. Sound plays an important role in the artwork from the cover (fingers can be strummed along the raised, textured starburst shapes) to the unfurling and contemplation of each of the nine paper-engineering marvels contained within. Like the other offerings in the series, the poetic text tantalizingly refers to the displayed pop-up while leaving much to interpretation by the imagination ("Rainbow bubble blast/and crackly white noise") or explanation from canny adults ("Sir Anthony's easel/and Munari's white noise"). The paper structures are as breathtaking as ever, with the sound effects varying from "white noise" created as the sculpture is deployed to pieces with added aural wows (the "tinkling" of cutout circles hanging from string or a pull tab that runs along serrated xylophonelike card stock). The relationship between words, sounds, and visuals is consistently pleasing, thought-provoking, and playful. In addition to grabbing the eye and ear, this book seems a natural for extensions in music and art classes.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
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From Booklist

Carter completes his color series with an inventive, thought-provoking offering that is not only about seeing but hearing, too. As in previous books, Carter presents an array of shapes and forms that have no intended meaning, but here he also incorporates sound into every spread. In the first, a “blast” of colors is accompanied by a “crackly white noise.” Sometimes the noise is made by simply turning the page, while other times pull tabs make sounds. This would work best with older children, who will be fascinated by Carter’s craft and may use this as a jumping-off place for their own creative endeavors. Grades 3-6. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Board book: 20 pages
• Publisher: Little Simon; Pop edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416940944
• ISBN-13: 978-1416940944
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely amazing paper structures, November 1, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: White Noise: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages (Board book)

Following his amazing, highly successful paper structure series (One Red Dot, Blue 2, 600 Black Spots, Yellow Square) the ingenious David Carter presents his final volume, WHITE NOISE, a nonpareil pop-up book for everyone from two to 92.

Beginning with "Rainbow bubble blast and crackly white noise," the pages sing as they are opened. In fact, they both spring and sing as the incredible boldly colored structures leap from the page. As the author has noted, "On some pages the sound is subtle, and on some pages the sound is obvious, but it is always created by the white portion of that page's structure." In addition to listening for the sound, you'll also discover a red dot, a blue 2, 600 black spots and a yellow square, all references to Carter's previous titles.

One structure in the book, Sierra Nevada Chopsticks, came about because Carter lives in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and this piece "resembles snowy mountain peaks with angular paper shapes that jut up like chopstick." Also, while enjoying this, look for the author's ski tracks off the back side of the highest peak.

To be fully appreciated this book calls for repeated visits not only to experience the art but to hear again the unique sounds. White Noise is exciting, entertaining, and exhilarating!

- Gail Cooke

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars White Wonderment!, November 13, 2009

By 

Timothy Hernandez "metimoteo" (the centennial state) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: White Noise: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages (Board book)

In the final installment of his color series of pop-up books, David A. Carter treats us to new and familiar examples of his amazing paper engineering. From the front cover to the last page, White Noise is filled with an explosion of startling shapes and colors. The sounds are much subtler, though. Take your time as you turn each page and listen carefully. The quietest environment will yield the most satisfying results.

Children and adults will marvel at the bold designs that dare to be touched. But be careful, the paper pop-ups are extremely delicate and are easily damaged from misuse and overuse. White Noise--like the other books in this series--is not for wee one's fingers; it won't endure the abuse. Remarkably, each book has to be assembled by hand, making every one a singular creation.

One of the most clever things about this series is discovering elements of the previous books hidden discretely somewhere within each new title. White Noise is no different. Did you discover One Red Dot? Wondering where the Blue 2 is based? Did you single out 600 Blacks Spots? Will you yahoo when you recognize Yellow Square?

Enjoy the journey, White Noise is where it ends.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the art is incredible, the text is non-existant, November 26, 2009

By 

Chel Micheline "Chel Micheline" (Southwest Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: White Noise: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages (Board book)

I'm not familiar with this line of books at all, but I love and collect pop-up books (my four-year-old and I spend lots of time pouring over them). I also love to give them as gifts, so I ordered this for a friend's child because I was going for a "rainbow/colorful" theme for her gifts.

While I was very pleased with the paper sculptures that explode from the book in intricate shape and bold color, I was a little disappointed there wasn't more text in the book. I tend to really love the pop up books that combine lots of paper engineering with lots of information- they are almost like tiny museums, with images and information literally emerging from every page of the book. The kind of pop-up books that you spend hours reading as well as examining.

In "White Noise", there's a lovely poetic cadence to the brief language in the book, it's just that there's really nothing to read- the book's sole purpose is to be a vessel for the pop-up shapes. The book and the shapes and the colors really do amount to an amazing feast-for-the-senses, though.

I think the book is striking and will not hesitate to get it for our own collection of pop-ups. I just thought I might warn some parents/gift givers that this isn't really a "book" you sit and read with a child for a long time. It's more of a visual experience. You'll spend your time examining the forms in the book and making up your own narrative and ideas.