Children's Book Review ~ "The Little Woman Wanted Noise" by Val Teal

The Little Woman Wanted Noise by Val Teal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description: A lost classic from the illustrator of The Story of Ferdinand and Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

CLANG! THUMP! WHOOSH! BANG! The big city is a noisy place. 

But the little woman doesn’t mind, the big city is her home. Then one day she is given a wonderful gift, a “pleasant, peaceful farm” in the country. The farm is nearly perfect—only with all the quiet, the little woman can’t relax.

So she buys a cow, she buys a dog, a cat and a duck, a rooster, a pig. Now the farm is noisy indeed. Still, something’s missing. She decides to return to the city for that one special thing she knows will make her farm feel just like home. And by the end of her tale the little woman is happy to find that even though she has no rest, she has peace of mind.

Published only seven years after The Story of Ferdinand, The Little Woman Wanted Noise shows Robert Lawson at the peak of his talent and contains some of the most stunning and innovative black-and-white drawings in all of American picture-book history. They are the joyous accompaniment to Val Teal’s story, which reminds us that a life without a little chaos is no life at all.

My thoughts: The Little Woman came from the city and moved to the country. She was used to the noises that surround city dwelling. She had a hard time adjusting to the quiet country life and wanted the things that were familiar to her.

I love that this book illustrates problem solving skills. The little woman solves her problem by bringing noises to her farm. Rather than removing herself from her environment, she changed her environment to reflect her preferences and personality.

I also love that it shows that not all noise is a bad thing. Noises can be good and comforting. Of course, I do like some quiet time now and again.

This is a cute book for children.  The illustrations are eye catching and a great compliment to the story.

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