Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure (2012)

Book Info

Author

Wynton Marsalis

Genre

Middle Grade & Children's

Rating

3.58 of 5 Votes: 2

Your rating

ISBN

0763639915 (ISBN13: 9780763639914)

Language

English

Publisher

Candlewick Press

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

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About book Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure (2012)

I love Wynton, but there are some really unfortunate flaws in this book. First is that it is impossible for young readers to read alone. It is best suited for a 7-8 year old. Second is that it contains multiple grammatical errors. Although this goes along with the jazzy and playful tone of the book, I still don't want my children reading, "I huz-huzz-huzzah a kazoo when I GETS the mood". The words are fun, the illustrations delightful, but they can't fix those two major flaws and that ruins the book for me. A fun story that shows how music is everywhere if you simply listen to the symphony all around you. I really liked how things began, the narrative flowed well with the sounds as it seemed very much in keeping with what a kid might notice in his daily life, but toward the end things seemed to get a bit jumbled with more sounds than story. Maybe it was just me--or maybe that was the point and it just didn't really work when I read it aloud. Still, I would recommend it as a way of showing how everyday life can inspire music.