THE NOISY BOOK

In this French import, animals, machines and various objects make their signature sounds.

Each spread presents a simple sentence on the left and bold cartoons drawn with thick, black lines of the subject in question on the right. Bravi’s selection of noisemakers runs from the typical (“The cat goes meow”) to the surprising (“The train goes takataka takataka”) to the overly abstract (“Pain goes ouch,” which is paired with an image of an upturned tack) to the delightful (“The snail does nothing but move its elegant feelers”). Most of the quirky drawings in both muted and bold colors will be easily identifiable to little ones, but some—vehicles, for example—are a little less than clear. The title appropriately quiets everything down at the end with a kiss.

With a catalog of over 50 animals and objects on 116 thinner-than-normal-but-still-sturdy pages (probably the longest board book on record), this offering gives youngsters plenty to chatter about.