I Go Quiet

How should I sound? How should I look? When it’s my turn to speak, I go quiet. Here is the story of an introverted girl, hiding in silence in a world that seems overpowering and hostile. In the power of imagination and the pages of books, she sees possibilities for herself and discovers a place where her words ring loud and true. David Ouimet’s exquisite debut translates the interior world of an anxious child into intricate paintings that convey how it feels to be lonely, isolated, and scrutinized—and how it feels to break free and soar. I Go Quiet will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find their voice.

An introverted young girl finds her voice through reading and the power of imagination in this stunning debut picture book. How do you find your voice, when no one seems to be listening? In David Ouimet’s spellbinding debut, a young girl struggles to make herself heard, believing she is too insignificant and misunderstood to communicate with the people in her life. Anxious about how she thinks she should look and speak, the girl stays silent, turning to books to transport her to a place where she is connected to the world, and where her words hold power. As she soon discovers, her imagination is not far from reality, and the girl realizes that when she is ready to be heard, her voice will ring loud and true. Ouimet’s stirring and haunting illustrations masterfully capture how it feels to be a lonely, self-conscious child unsure of how to claim a space in the world.

Into a world where it often seems nobody is listening comes a poignant story that celebrates the power of silence. “Why are you so quiet?” Her teacher implores it, her classmates shout it, even her mom wonders it. Everyone, it seems, is concerned for Myra Louise. So, in search of an answer to the tiresome question nobody will stop asking, she invents a listening machine. If the raindrops, or the crickets, or the dryers at the laundromat can tell her why they’re so quiet, maybe Myra Louise can finally make everybody understand. But the more she listens, the less interested she becomes in finding any answer at all. Because Myra Louise comes to realize that all she really needs is someone else to listen alongside her. With gorgeous illustrations from Risa Hugo, Jaclyn Desforges’s first picture book champions introversion and the value of being a listener, a thinker, and an observer in our increasingly loud world.

This stunning successor to Ouimet’s debut, I Go Quiet, follows a girl learning to express herself and connect with others. When I am swept into the light of life, I get loud. A girl finds her voice and befriends a stranger, who becomes her closest companion. They speak and sing and laugh, their friendship weathering darkness and light, stormy seas and calm waters. Then, embarking on an uncertain journey to a new land with thousands of others, they become separated. The girl worries that her voice alone is too quiet to find her friend and make herself known—but it’s their voices that lead them back to each other, and that preserve their pasts and pave their future in a new home. The companion to David Ouimet’s acclaimed debut, I Go Quiet, I Get Loud is a poetic and arresting fable about the power of expression and human connection in the face of change.

All quiet is not created equal. In this irresistibly charming picture book, many different quiet moments are captured, from the anticipation-heavy “Top of the roller coaster quiet” to the shocked-into-silence “First look at your new hairstyle quiet.” The impossibly sweet bears, rabbits, fish, birds, and iguanas are all rendered in soft pencils and colored digitally, and, as in all of the best picture books, the illustrations propel the story far beyond the words. A sure-to-be-a-classic bedtime favorite. Awards: 2011 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010–2011, New York Times bestseller, 2011 CCBC Choices, 2011 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book, 2010 New York Times Notable Book, 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Make some noise! Bestselling picture book stars Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tony Fucile invite you on a rollicking cumulative read-aloud perfect for bedtime or storytime! It's time for bed, but one little mouse just can't get to sleep. It's TOO QUIET! But the night is full of rhythmic sounds, from the croak of the bullfrog to the howl of a coyote on a distant hill. As the symphony of nighttime sounds builds and builds in this rollicking read-aloud, the mouse starts to wonder whether he wouldn't like a little MORE quiet. From the bestselling author of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site comes a silly, noisy bedtime book that will have parents and children squealing, croaking, and laughing along—before settling themselves down for a quiet night's sleep. • BESTSELLING AUTHOR: With five #1 New York Times bestselling picture books to date, Sherri Rinker has won the hearts of millions of fans with the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series. • GREAT BEDTIME READ-ALOUD: Soft and sweet rhymes build to a hilarious nighttime chorus before settling back down to sleep. Little readers will delight in the humor and interactivity of this bedtime book, just right for a fun read-aloud that encourages appreciation of bedtime's soothing quiet. • A GO-TO BOOK FOR PARENTS: Does your child love animal noises and funny read-alouds? This book will engage even the most rambunctious readers, and become a bedtime favorite. Perfect for: • Parents, grandparents, and caregivers • Librarians • Kindergarten and elementary school teachers • Fans of Sherri Duskey Rinker

All Rupert the mouse wants is to star in a beautiful, wordless picturebook. One that's visually stimulating! With scenic pictures! And style! He has plenty of ideas about what makes a great book, but his friends just WON'T. STOP. TALKING. Children and adults alike will chuckle at this comedic take on bookmaking from acclaimed author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins. Praise for Mother Bruce E. B. White Read-Aloud Award Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor * "[W]ry text and marvelously detailed pictures juxtapose uproariously. . .Visually beautiful, clever, edgy, and very funny." — Kirkus, starred review * "Ryan T. Higgins's illustrations are extraordinary. . . . [A] hilarious, artful picture book with a nod to foodies great and small." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

In this gorgeous and contemplative New York Times bestselling picture book, legendary author-illustrator Tomie dePaola reminds us that mindfulness—being quiet, still, and present with one another—is a very special thing. Everything is in such a hurry, busy as busy can be. The birds are flying so fast, the dragonfly is zooming over the water—even the trees are waving their leaves. So what if we sit here, you next to me…and we can just be?