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Noisy Books
The Summer Noisy Book
On a trip to the country, a little dog named Muffin encounters all kinds of new and puzzling sounds
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
410 books1,317 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 7, 2020
I am indeed most appreciative of the fact that in her The Summer Noisy Book author Margaret Wise Brown does not simply provide a list of summer and countryside sounds, but also gives her readers (and of course her listeners) the specific reason why little dog Muffin (who is asleep in the car as his family drives to the country and of course therefore has his eyes closed) must like in The Noisy Book (where Muffin has a bandage covering his eyes) figure out his perceptions of the world by at first sound alone (and how the noises of the city slowly begin to be replaced by more rural sounds as the family car travels closer and closer to its countryside destination, with Muffin finally waking up to take in not only the sounds but also some of the sights of his now rural surroundings). And indeed much more than with The Noisy Book (which really did rely mostly on sound and sound alone), The Summer Noisy Book is actually and in my humble opinion a true celebration of ALL of Muffin's senses, since he is certainly not only hearing cow bells, peeper frogs, and even more quiet and unobtrusive noises such as the grasses swaying in the wind etc. but that Muffin is also seeing, smelling and feeling the sources of the rural summer noises he is hearing or has heard (the cows, the frogs, the grass and so on and so on).
A fun summer vacation journey to the country is The Summer Noisy Book (and cumulating in a typical summer night thunderstorm), and with Margaret Wise Brown's generally onomatopoeic words accompanied by Leonard Weisgard's expressive and colourful illustrations providing a both visual and textual delight. And yes, although The Noisy Book is definitely more well known, is definitely more famous, I for one do find the combination of text and images more engaging in The Summer Noisy Book (and indeed, I also appreciate that the latter goes just a bit further and celebrates and shows not just summer and rural noises but also involves other senses than just sound and hearing, that especially Muffin's sense of sight and smell are also focused upon and considered).
A fun summer vacation journey to the country is The Summer Noisy Book (and cumulating in a typical summer night thunderstorm), and with Margaret Wise Brown's generally onomatopoeic words accompanied by Leonard Weisgard's expressive and colourful illustrations providing a both visual and textual delight. And yes, although The Noisy Book is definitely more well known, is definitely more famous, I for one do find the combination of text and images more engaging in The Summer Noisy Book (and indeed, I also appreciate that the latter goes just a bit further and celebrates and shows not just summer and rural noises but also involves other senses than just sound and hearing, that especially Muffin's sense of sight and smell are also focused upon and considered).
May 17, 2019
This one was fun. Muffin goes to the country and visits a farm! :-) I felt the bright, bold colors of Weisgard's illustrations fit well here. I most enjoyed watching my boys out of the corners of my eyes as I read this aloud, seeing them lean forward eagerly, as if willing the page to turn to see if their silent guesses were correct as to what was making each sound. I give MWB credit for that. These noisy books do keep one engaged with wonder.
August 3, 2019
Margaret Wise Brown’s simple charm, but I’m not sure I’d want to read this aloud to little ones unless I really had the energy to commit to all the onomatopoeic noises.
August 15, 2021
Margaret Wise Brown mi piace perché ti prende per mano e comincia a camminare con te e ti porta e ti racconta, così che tu non la vedi, ma vedi quel che ti sta davanti e ascolti, ascolti soprattutto.
Mi è sembrato di vedere e sentire per la prima volta il campanaccio delle mucche e il gracidare delle rane di notte e il temporale che arriva d’estate.
Mi è sembrato di vedere e sentire per la prima volta il campanaccio delle mucche e il gracidare delle rane di notte e il temporale che arriva d’estate.
September 25, 2021
A little dog listens closely to new sounds as he goes in the car with the family he lives with in the city. From city to a farm in the country, there are many sounds he tries to identify. Nicely illustrated.
July 21, 2022
The original copyright on this children's book is 1951 and the illustrations reflect that time period. This would be a good book for kids who like to make noises. I can image an adult and kids having great fun making all the sounds this presents.
February 9, 2018
Muffin leads a most eventful life. At least this time they didn't put him on the train alone.
July 10, 2011
Beautiful bold illustrations by leonard wisegard compliment a sweet story about a puppy's journey to a farm. Experienced through the eyes and ears of the puppy there are lots of opportunities to brrrrooom like a car and moo like cow.
September 28, 2012
The author did a good job including many different sounds that children can make while they read the book or have the book read to them. The pictures were illustrated nicely and the author included questions which engages children and makes them think hard about what would be a good answer.
July 21, 2021
I don't remember this specific book too well but I do remember that I was less and less impressed with Margaret Wise Brown's book's when you get to these ones. I don't like her jumpy, disconnected tone.
December 4, 2010
Older book. But great job at depicting the sounds of summer around the outside. Fun to read out loud
August 28, 2012
Just not our style - liked some of the other summer books we tried from the library better.
December 5, 2014
A great book for an early childhood classroom!
December 7, 2012
Grandchild Read. Truly a classic.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews