Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Readers of all ages will be charmed by the warmth of Sweet's illustrations in this celebration of our world. The illustrations pulsate with greens and blues, laid out in mostly horizontal double-page spreads, though they occasionally require the book to be flipped sideways, the spreads shooting up vertically (appropriate for the large cactus surrounded by Gila monsters). Giant pandas, too, climb a vertical spread before the long, snapping crocodile turns the book horizontal once again. Martin and Sampson's spare text emphasizes the sounds each of these lively creatures makes: the lion goes ROAR, of course, but the eagle says weee-aaa! Each sound is repeated several times, allowing plenty of opportunity for mimicry, and the environment of each creature is also acknowledged. The book opens with Mommy's wake-up kisses (Good morning, little one. Can you hear the sounds of our world?) and ultimately comes full circle, ending back at home with good-night kisses and the hope for sweet dreams. Endnotes include the habitat for each creature mentioned and a short, interesting fact. There is so much of interest here that lucky listeners will want to experience it again and again before sleep. Pair with Mary Logue's Sleep like a Tiger (2012) for another bedtime book connected to the animal world.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sampson and the late Martin (Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3) offer a nominal introduction to animals and their homes, as well as a simple call to action: listen. "In the morning, Mommy gives us wake-up kisses and says, `Good morning, little one. Can you hear the sounds of our world?' " In the windows of many houses, mothers of different colors kiss their children while the words Listen! Listen! Listen! appear in the sky above. A page turn shows a parrot and three nestlings ("Around a giant kapok tree, bright parrots flit and fly. The rain forest is their world"). In vertically and horizontally oriented spreads, readers see families of Gila monsters, bald eagles, kangaroos, elephants, whales, and more, all shown where they live, all making noises to listen for. At last, the tale comes full circle as a mother bids her child good night. Caldecott Honor artist Sweet's (The Right Word) artwork has a primitive, folk-art feel in line with her earlier books, with dreamy, subdued shades of green and blue throughout. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-On the title page of this simple and thoroughly inviting picture book, the universe appears vast and quiet, but zoom down to Earth and there are a great many habitats and inhabitants that make up our world. "Listen! Listen! Listen!" mommies say to their little ones, as each page turn reveals a colorful spread depicting a specific ecosystem, related animal family, and appropriate animal sound. "Around a giant kapok tree, bright parrots flit and fly. The rain forest is their world. Squawk! Squawk! Squawk!" At first glance, Martin and Sampson's repetitive phrasing results in a text that seems almost mundane, lacking the bounce that makes Martin's Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? such a pleasure to read aloud. Yet this book is so visually rich that children will quickly be searching the pages for words to shout. Some sounds are familiar ("Hiss!" "Roar!"), while others offer readers something new ("Weee-aaa!"), but all are engaging and fun to repeat. Once again, Sweet has masterfully combined watercolor, handmade papers, pencil, and paint to create horizontally and vertically oriented pages that are a feast of color, shape, expression, movement, and, of course, sound. Further facts about the 11 habitats and animals are provided at the end. VERDICT A delightful introduction to the variety of environments that make up the world we live in. Highly recommended.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
At the start of a day, (human) mothers greet their children and invite them to listen to the world. Each of the following spreads introduces a habitat, the mother and babies therein, and the sounds they make (the squawk of the parrots, the snap of the crocodiles, etc.). An accessible but unremarkable text is elevated by energetic, celebratory, beautifully colored illustrations. Animal facts appended. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Martin, who gave the world the beloved Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, died in 2004, but another of his works is brought to life by his frequent collaborator, Sampson. It's all further enlivened by Sweet's rosy, greeny-golden illustrations, which bring to very immediate life the animals on each page. A panoply of mommies of various ethnicities offer wake-up kisses and ask, "Can you hear the sounds of our world?" It is a big world: Gila monsters in the desert hiss; monkeys in the jungle cry "Eeee!"; lions on the plain roar (although they are baby lions, and their roars are clearly small if enthusiastic; the cubs themselves are levitating with excitement). Some of the sounds supplied do not give a very clear indication of what the animal sounds like"Honk!" for elephants or "Wahhh!" for whales, for instancebut careful and alert adults can compensate for this while reading aloud. Each animal illustrated is listed at the end, with its habitat, location, and a fact or two. For the penguin, it is carefully pointed out that it is the male penguin who keeps the egg warm and the female who goes forth and hunts for food. A delightful new visit with an old friend. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
