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Noisy Books
The Noisy Book
Muffin the dog is blindfolded for a day and tries to identify things by the sounds they make.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
2 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
393 books1,210 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 16, 2019
Although I have found Margaret Wise Brown's 1939 The Noisy Book generally fun and kind of also consider it rather interesting that little dog Muffin has an eye infection, has to be blindfolded by a bandage and that it is therefore necessary for him to guess just via his hearing alone what the different noises being described and encountered during his day are or might be, I also cannot say that The Noisy Book is anything that I would personally consider all that spectacular (or in any manner a favourite). For while I have found it mildly engaging to see little Muffin guessing at the sounds and what they might represent and that yes I do also wonder whether children with low or no sight might also see themselves and how they have to approach the world reflected in and by how Muffin guesses what the various noises shown in The Noisy Book could be, the fact that there are so very many sounds, objects and such being shown and listed in The Noisy Book (but then also with not much supplemental information provided either), this certainly does begin to feel a bit tedious and dragging to and for me (although I do have to admit that this is also the very first time I have read The Noisy Book and that perhaps I might have liked as well as appreciated Margaret Wise Brown's repetitive text and listings considerably more if I had encountered The Noisy Book as a young child and not for the first time as an older adult who no longer is all that much enthused by picture books which feature all too much repetition and sameness).
Still, I would definitely recommend The Noisy Book for use with very young children, as the repetitive listing of noises and what these sounds might represent could (and likely would) be a fun and engaging reading or rather listening activity for the very young, not to mention that Leonard Weisgard's accompanying illustrations are (although rather brightly garish and really in one's face so to speak) the in my opinion perfect match and compliment to and for Margaret Wise Brown's narrative. And yes indeed, little Muffin certainly is delightful sweetly rendered both illustratively and textually (and I say this even as someone who is not really all that much a fan of especially Poodle type dogs).
Still, I would definitely recommend The Noisy Book for use with very young children, as the repetitive listing of noises and what these sounds might represent could (and likely would) be a fun and engaging reading or rather listening activity for the very young, not to mention that Leonard Weisgard's accompanying illustrations are (although rather brightly garish and really in one's face so to speak) the in my opinion perfect match and compliment to and for Margaret Wise Brown's narrative. And yes indeed, little Muffin certainly is delightful sweetly rendered both illustratively and textually (and I say this even as someone who is not really all that much a fan of especially Poodle type dogs).
October 1, 2021
This seems to be a time-honored, well-loved children's book for some, but for me it had the off-putting scenario of a blindfolded dog, being sent by a veterinarian, out onto a busy city street to find his own way home.
Horrific!
Horrific!
May 20, 2019
We were disappointed in this one. Not much to it
August 17, 2017
I like the bright colors for the illustrations. The story is interesting take on using your sense of hearing when you lose your sense of sight.
I works okay as a story told about a dog. Not really sure who the audience is for this one. Maybe toddlers but there is a bit of text. Not sure a preschooler would want to listen to a board book.
I works okay as a story told about a dog. Not really sure who the audience is for this one. Maybe toddlers but there is a bit of text. Not sure a preschooler would want to listen to a board book.
July 12, 2015
Not much to this one.
January 20, 2019
AMAZING. This book is not the equal of the genius that is The Quiet Noisy Book! This is the warm up (first published in 1939) to the later refinement (Quiet Noisy was first published in 1950). Neither are titled correctly, as this is not about "noisy" things, but "things that make noises" (although perhaps we need to allow for word-usage shift) -- specifically a squeaky noise, which isn't really even interesting. We don't really care about Muffin. Alas. And way over here in 2019 we kinda laugh at the policeman being squeaky. But it's a shallow laugh and doesn't make up for the lack of fun throughout.
Fascinating to me that Deborah Underwood is also far more successful with her The Quiet Book than her The Loud Book. Is quiet that much more rich?
Fascinating to me that Deborah Underwood is also far more successful with her The Quiet Book than her The Loud Book. Is quiet that much more rich?
July 3, 2022
Muffin is a dog who needs to be blindfolded for the day (vet's orders), so he needs to rely on his sense of hearing to get around and identify the objects around him.
This would be a good book for kids to identify certain sounds, although some of the references may be dated (seeing as this book was originally published in 1939) - not sure how many places still have horses roaming the streets, or cars being referred to as automobiles.
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Part of a personal challenge to read all of my boyfriend's and his sister's childhood books before we donate and give them away.
This would be a good book for kids to identify certain sounds, although some of the references may be dated (seeing as this book was originally published in 1939) - not sure how many places still have horses roaming the streets, or cars being referred to as automobiles.
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Part of a personal challenge to read all of my boyfriend's and his sister's childhood books before we donate and give them away.
December 7, 2017
This is a terrific book for young children. I am now 62 years old and vividly remember my nursery school teacher reading this book to our class then leading a discussion about subtleties of sounds: whether different people in our families sounded differently when they walked by our bedrooms; whether boiling hot water sounded differently than cold water when poured from a cup; whether it was possible to hear a pin drop. In the right hands, this book is a wonderful springboard for those sorts of questions about sound and what we are able to perceive from sound alone.
September 7, 2021
Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Listened to this story about the small puppy who has a cinder in his eye and the vet puts patch over his eye.
We hear the sounds he hears, love how they speak the sounds of everything around them, on his way home.
I can just imagine the pages in this book being so colorful.
Cute story and teaches you that you can see things by hearing the sounds, not by seeing them.
Never realized she had so many other books dedicated to sounds.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Listened to this story about the small puppy who has a cinder in his eye and the vet puts patch over his eye.
We hear the sounds he hears, love how they speak the sounds of everything around them, on his way home.
I can just imagine the pages in this book being so colorful.
Cute story and teaches you that you can see things by hearing the sounds, not by seeing them.
Never realized she had so many other books dedicated to sounds.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
June 18, 2019
Muffin, a little dog, had a sore eye, so the vet put a bandage over both eyes for the day. On his way home, Muffin couldn't see anything so he made his way by using the sounds he heard. Readers are reminded through this story to listen to what's around them. Cute illustrations.
July 21, 2022
What is board book? What happened to the dog's eyes that he had to be blindfolded? And what is making the noise at the end? I can think of a dozen other items that poor dog could have received. Maybe it is the 1939 copyright. But this one was a little off kilter for me.
July 24, 2017
megan summer reading 2017, lily summer reading 2017, children's book, picture book, board book, baby book, toddler book, classic, sounds, listening,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2017
Older book that didn't engage baby nor parent.
October 9, 2018
I just really do not see the appeal...
October 1, 2024
Um?? You spend the time guessing what is making a squeak squeak sound and it's a doll?? What?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2024
This is good!
September 20, 2009
I LOVED this book. When I first picked it up off the shelf, I was kind of sketchy about it but thought it might be a fun read. I took it to work today, read it to my class and they loved it too and it was so easy to have them interact with me and the book as well! The book starts out with a little dog who has injured his eye. He has a bandage wrapped around them, so he can’t see, thus having to rely on his ears to get him around. All of a sudden, he hears a LOT of sounds all around him! The book gives the ability to say the sounds, and has pictures of them, so the teacher can make the sounds and the kids can see the pictures of what the sounds are. Towards the end, he hears a small squeaking sound so each page has pictures that question what the sound could be until it’s revealed in the very end.
As far as uses in the classroom, I feel like the book could be used when talking about hearing, or talking about the sounds around us. It teaches kids how to use their ears and what hearing comes from. I loved this book and think it could be really valuable for the classroom. When I read it to my class, they loved interacting and guessing what the sounds were so I feel like this could be beneficial to do as well in classrooms. Thematically, it could be used for hearing themes.
As far as uses in the classroom, I feel like the book could be used when talking about hearing, or talking about the sounds around us. It teaches kids how to use their ears and what hearing comes from. I loved this book and think it could be really valuable for the classroom. When I read it to my class, they loved interacting and guessing what the sounds were so I feel like this could be beneficial to do as well in classrooms. Thematically, it could be used for hearing themes.
November 18, 2012
This book starts out with a little dog that got something in his eye and has to wear a bandage. Therefore, he could not see. It lists all of the noises he hears and the reader can guess what makes the sounds. The illustrations are bold. I would use this in a younger classroom when discussing the sense of hearing and sounds, since it can be a very interactive teaching tool. After reader, the teacher could blindfold the students and make different noises that they must write down guesses for. This could be followed by a lesson on hearing/sounds.
November 28, 2012
This book tells a story about all different types of noises through the life of a dog. It starts out with a little dog that got something in his eye and has to wear a bandage so he can’t see. It lists all of the noises he hears and the reader can guess what makes the sounds. The illustrations are bold and loud in a sense.
This book could be used in a younger classroom when discussing the sense of hearing and sounds. After reading the teacher could blind fold the students and make different noises they must write down guesses for, followed by a lesson on hearing/sounds.
This book could be used in a younger classroom when discussing the sense of hearing and sounds. After reading the teacher could blind fold the students and make different noises they must write down guesses for, followed by a lesson on hearing/sounds.
June 23, 2015
This book is about a dog who has to have his eyes bandaged. He listens to all the noises around him as he tries to get home.
I like this book because it is simple. It will help younger children see and recognize sounds. It also has a cute puppy as the main character, so the children will be excited to learn from this dog.
I would use this book with my children because it has a good moral lesson that they could learn from. They would love the illustrations, and they would enjoy the story.
I like this book because it is simple. It will help younger children see and recognize sounds. It also has a cute puppy as the main character, so the children will be excited to learn from this dog.
I would use this book with my children because it has a good moral lesson that they could learn from. They would love the illustrations, and they would enjoy the story.
January 6, 2009
I adored this book! I do love her books, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but I hadn't ever seen it which is unusual. I am very glad we have a copy, and I would highly recommend it for ages 2-6ish. David enjoyed it. A good part of it asked silly questions and kept repeating, "No." The kids enjoyed it a lot.
March 22, 2023
The Noisy Book was my favorite book as a child. I was delighted to find the board book on Amazon and bought it for my grandson. However, the edit for the board book is atrocious. So much of the story - like the sounds inside the vet office - were cut.
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July 22, 2009JE-Bro
September 22, 2015
The Noisy books by Margaret Wise Brown are some of my favorite books of all time!!!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews