The Nursery Quiet & Noisy Book

Gold 'n Honey, $7.99

ISBN 0-88070-770-4

Review by Mike and Amy Nappa

Playtime, Bedtime, Anytime

It's a book for playtime, a book for bedtime. It's a counting book, a rhyming book, and a book of comparisons. The Nursery Quiet and Noisy Book, by Scharlotte Rich, is more than two books in one!

The book is divided into two sections, "The Noisy Book" and "The Quiet Book," but should be read in one sitting. Both sections encourage the child to cuddle close and share a time of exploring noises, loud and soft. "The Noisy Book" booms with drums, laughs with friends, and chatters with frisky monkeys. Trains rush by and a parade festively marches past. This section assures children that God loves them, noise and all.

"The Quiet Book" hushes the day with the flutter of snowflakes, the purring of kittens, and the silent twinkling of the stars. This section softens the noise and readies a child for rest.

Tish Tenud's soft-line illustrations capture the excitement and motion of the noisy sections, while showing gentle moments as the book quiets down. As the book progresses she moves from the bright colors of daytime and noise to the pastels and shaded tones of the evening.

The Nursery Quiet and Noisy Book is a wonderful bedtime book, but will be fun any time of day.