CHOO! CHOO!
Guess the Vehicle!
From the What's That Noise? series
by Child's Play ; illustrated by Cocoretto
An abundance of exclamation points helps to define this British import and its companions.
Upon first examination, the question posed by the four titles in the series—“What's that noise?”—seems like a winner. Sounds are an easy way to entertain babies who are not yet talking. Cute cartoon animals on each facing flap and an attractive graphic design that merges perfectly with the hidden page it conceals give clues to what will be revealed when the flap is opened. Large, full-page flaps and a wavy edge make for easy manipulation by little fingers. The problem for many American families is the British-specific vocabulary. Is “Dugga! Dugga! Dugga!” really the sound of a backhoe (labeled “Digger!”)? American families reading companion title Tap! Tap! Guess the Toy! will be startled to see a little raccoon playing with “Bricks!” (which alert parents will just call “blocks”), and few American parents will be able to keep a straight face when asked to call a car horn a “Hooter!” Toot! Toot! Guess the Instrument! is the best in the series, with clear images and universal sounds. In the fourth title in the series, Snap! Snap! Guess the Animal!, the animal characters that ask, “What’s that noise?” seem to have been chosen for cuteness, not because of any relation to the hidden creatures.
Cute but not exciting! (Board book. 1-3)