ama_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Busy illustrations that reflect the sparse text so that they tell the story without words. But, so busy that they are nearly dizzying.
msgabbythelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite element of this book is the sound. The sound of the rain. The sound of transportation. The sound of a bass. It is great way to teach children the symphony of sound and how there are words used to describe the sounds.
This book won a Caldecott Honor--indeed, the illustrations help tell the tale. They have to as there are not many words contained in the pages. I found the artwork vibrant and engaging. I wonder what children think.....
This book won a Caldecott Honor--indeed, the illustrations help tell the tale. They have to as there are not many words contained in the pages. I found the artwork vibrant and engaging. I wonder what children think.....
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
2.0
Caldecott Honor picture book. Relatively simple concept but a good one. But the art overpowers the book - it is garish and overwhelming and hides the story. The text is spare and minimal and with different art would have worked.
abigailbat's review against another edition
Almost completely written in onomatopoeia, the surreal illustrations and sounds of the city tell a story of a boy playing an instrument bigger than himself. Nic plays the double bass, both in the school orchestra and jamming at his grandfather's apartment with his buddies. After an arduous trip through the city lugging his giant instrument, Nic finds the sounds of the city influencing his music. This is an ode to the lengths that young musicians will go to for their art and a great book for aspiring orchestra members.
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of really great sounds paired with illustrations that are both abstract and representational. Really great faces!
agudenburr's review against another edition
3.0
A very unique picture book that tells a story with very few words about a boy bass player. This would be best as a one-on-one story to appreciate all the small details in the illustrations. This could work for storytime but you would have to practice your delivery in order to do the book justice.
lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this one better than I did. It is written for people who focus more on pictures telling the story than words, but just pictures and sounds aren't quite enough to make me love the story.