The shrill metallic sound of “Whoui! Whoui! Whoui” can only mean that Louie has arrived for a visit with his new French whistle. The real French whistle given to Louie by Grand-père sounds so important that Josette asks to try it, but spoiled little Louie refuses. Josette, still interested, follows Louie around as he tries out his shrill whistle on everyone and everything around him. The “Whoui! Whoui! Whoui” scares off the birds; frightens the dog; startles Grand-père in the bath; and wakes baby Roland from a nap. Even after everyone begs Louie to try different sounds on his whistle, his response is a repeated, “Non!” After a final tangle with the startled cat, Louie loses his whistle and demands to be taken home. Josette retrieves the instrument and sets out to see what other sounds it can make. She plays it softly and sweetly, loudly with importance, finally makes it warble for Grand-père. Humorous illustrations in soft washes of color add a bit of silliness to this noisy tale. The sprinkling of French vocabulary and the repetition of the whistle sounds make this a perfect read-aloud story—young readers will be whistling for more. (Picture Book. 4-7)
