WHO MEOWS?

An interactive exploration of animal sounds, in the vein of Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

The book’s opening spread establishes a pattern: A full-color portrait of an animal’s face fills the left-hand page, while a handful of words appear on the right. An unseen narrator asks the titular question. A page turn reveals the answer: a lively illustration of a wide-eyed feline paired with the words “A cat meows.” The rhythmic text creates a rollicking cadence, aided by the book’s design. The color of the text on each spread matches a prominent hue in the illustration of the animal. The next question also appears, smaller and in a different color, on the bottom right of the spread, inviting children to turn the page to find out “who gobbles?” or “who hoots?” Details such as the pig’s eyelashes or the owl’s plumage stand out. With their mouths agape (as though making their sound), some creatures appear startled, while others look downright menacing. The final question—“Who giggles?”—is accompanied by an image of a tan-skinned, dark-haired child: “You giggle! And giggle and giggle and giggle.” Appended facts about animal sounds add depth to this simple and engaging book.

A solid read-aloud with lots of opportunities to oink, caw, and chuckle together.