Buzz! Boom! Bang!: The Book of Sounds
by Benjamin Gottwald; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    NorthSouth    168 pp.
9/25    9780735846036    $21.95

This wordless picture book contains many pages and limitless potential for noise-making. “This book is meant to be read aloud!” quips an introduction that encourages readers to “make the sound that you see” on every page. Bold shapes and vivid colors help set the stage for noises within the amusing, smart compositions. Motion lines convey energy and indicate where sounds might generate—firing up from a horse’s hooves as they strike the ground or emanating from a balloon as a needle bursts it. Each page leads seamlessly into the next through subtle sensory connections. One double-page spread prompts readers to imagine the sound of a person bicycling down a hill. The following page conjures the sound a flat bicycle tire makes as it loses air, while the facing page shows a hissing snake. What sound might an ocean liner make, and then, what about a cow? In spite of the very different subjects, the compositions of these two pages mirror each other delightfully. Some of the visuals suggest very loud noises, while others encourage quieter sounds. The book includes everyday sounds, silly sounds, serious sounds, and sounds from an imaginary world. Each pairing offers opportunities to experiment with noise and make new and unusual connections, providing many opportunities for sharing one on one or with a group.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.