WHAT NOISE?

With several innovative, photo-illustrated concept books to their credit (How Many?, 1993), this British team is moving right up there with such masters of the genre as Bruce McMillan and Margaret Miller. Here, preschoolers are shown with live animals and toys representing familiar things that make a wide variety of sounds: pets, including a mouse and a hamster; things that go; machines; babies; more. Five sounds are given on each spread. One is featured on the verso (``What noise does Grace's alarm clock make?''); the recto extends the idea (``more clocks'': ``ticktock''; ``DONG!''; ``cuckoo!''; ``beep-beep,'' with styles including a digital watch). The candid color photos of a multicultural bunch of vibrant little children are splendidly natural and appealing. A simple concept, developed with unusual creativity and style. (Picture book. 1-5)