The simple, repeating story of a young cricket weho tries to say hello to the locust, worm, and other animals who greet him. He cannot make a sound until the day he meets a very quiet girl cricket. Classic Carle illustrations on heavy stock make this ideal for younger readers. The chirper that sounds when the last page is opened makes an accurate cricket sound.
This is a classic Eric Carle book that incorporates his signature drawings and a very sweet storyline. The book focuses on a cricket that cannot make any noise. He walks around while the other bugs make their noises to say hello, but he can't seem to make his sound work. At the end, he triumphantly makes noise, which is a moment made grander by the chirping sound built into the book.
This book engages multiple senses. The illustrations are created from bold colors and have a lot of texture. The rhythmic text bounces along and will be entertaining for your little one. Perhaps most importantly, the chirping at the end will make your child simultaneously amazed and excited.
I read this book over and over again when I was a child. I felt so sorry for the cricket, and was glad that he found his voice at the end. I thought that the cricket chirping sound was incredible, and couldn't wait to get to the end because I loved making the chirping noise with my own voice.
--Eve
Jayden loves this book and he can name all of the bugs in the story. He likes to leave the last page open for a little longer and listen to the cricket chirp sound. He tells me, "hear it mama, you hear it." He has even opened the book and tried reading it himself and also to his stuffed monkey.
--Nancy, Glendale, AZ