What's That Noise?

by Naomi Howarth

What's that noise? Could it be the creaking of the trees? Or the whistling of the wind? Or the cracking of the ice? One morning Magnus the seal is wakened by a strange, rumbling sound and he sets off across the Artic plains to ask his friends what could be making the noise.... Hare, Owl, Fox and Polar Bear all try to help, but it is clever Walrus who may have the answer! Set in the Arctic, with beautiful illustrations, this is a funny and delightful picture book - perfect for reading aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Food, Storytime, Pre K, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2019

About the author

Naomi Howarth is a costume designer as well as an illustrator. She is the author-illustrator of The Crow's Tale, which was short-listed for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After waking up to a rumbling sound, Magnus, an Arctic seal, tries to figure out what is causing the sound. When he can't figure it out himself, he seeks out his friends for advice. It isn't until he talks to Walrus that an answer is found. This cute story highlights a number of creatures that live in the Arctic. The ending provides a laugh. The end papers at the back of the book provide additional information about each of the animals included in the story. The illustrations are adorable with friendly-looking animals, bright-colored skies, and an appropriately white background. An amusing story with a bit of a mystery and pleasant illustrations for young animal-lovers to enjoy.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explore the arctic with Magnus the seal as he tries to find the source of a mysterious rumbling noise. This would be a great story time book.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Strange Rumbling Noise… ??
When Magnus the seal is awakened by a rumbling sound, it may be closer than he thinks in a funny, kid-friendly story that winds up with facts about Arctic creatures.

Rumble, rumble, rumble. . . . What’s that noise?

Magnus the Arctic seal wakes up from a very deep sleep one morning, puzzled by a strange rumbling sound. What’s that noise? Could it be the creaking of the trees? The whistling of the wind? The cracking of the ice? The roaring of the sea? Hare, Owl, and Polar Bear don’t have any idea, but Walrus has a good suggestion: it could be Magnus’s rumbling tummy! After a yummy feast of plump, pink shrimp, the friends all settle down to sleep — but suddenly there’s another rumbling sound. What’s that noise? Readers curious about the creatures can learn more about them and their environment in an informative final spread.

Out March 2020

32 Pages

MY THOUGHTS:

I was sent this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is full of information about arctic and sea life. The illustrations are charming and typical of Howarth’s style. I love the humor attached to the ending and found the wording age appropriate for very young readers, probably those who read with a parent. At the back of the book is a chalk-full amount of information about creatures found in the Arctic. I expected a different ending, one full of gas… but, I don’t think THAT is Howarth’s style. 🙂

I enjoyed this book full of big and bold illustrations and fun. I gave it:

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just this year published in the U.S., Naomi Howarth has crafted gorgeous pictures and an amusing cumulative story that begins when Magnus, an Arctic seal awakens to a "long, low rumbling sound." The journey begins as he first wonders if it could be an iceberg cracking or the wind? He finds a friend, Hare, to help solve this mystery. As you might guess, they travel and gather others to help. The end is hilarious and satisfying, with a little extra, too! Howarth adds a brief paragraph about the Arctic and each animal that is included in the tale.
Thanks to Candlewick for this company!

[Cathy Mealey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cast of charming Arctic characters try to troubleshoot the source of the rumbling noise noticed by Magnus the Seal. Stunning watercolors paint an inviting view of the snowy North Pole utopia where all the animal characters are friendly and helpful. Endpapers provide interesting and entertaining details about the Arctic fox and hare, ringed seal, snowy owl walrus and polar bear with a hint about climate change. Observant readers will also admire Arctic environments while Magnus travels from forest to sea floor as snow, wind and stars gleam with soft ombre aurora borealis tones.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnus the Seal wakes up from a nap to hear a rumbling noise. He asks multiple animal friends what the sound could be but no one knows. Finally the wise Walrus has an idea and tells Magnus to jump into the sea to find some plump shrimp. Once the friends have shared a meal, Magnus realizes that the rumbling was his tummy because he was hungry!

One drawback to this story: only the seal was given a 'real' name; all the other animals were called by their animal name. However, children will still find this one humorous; recommended for storytime.

[Ally Salmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Artic animal book! The story was silly and lighthearted, making for a fantastic story time. I loved being able to introduce Artic animals through this, especially for a younger audience. I have read this to multiple student groups and have enjoyed it every time.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Becki Iverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the sweetest children's books I've seen in a while. The illustrations are spectacular, really gorgeous watercolors that evoke Nasa images of space. It's also fun to read something set in the Arctic which tends to get short shrift in the animal realm. I had the best time reading this to my nephews, who loved the illustrations.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read aloud! Magnus the Arctic Seal is trying to figure out what that noise is. He asked all of his Arctic friends and no one can seem to find it UNTIL they suggest Magnus go find some shrimp.....because the noise is his hungry tummy!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magnus and his arctic animal pals are awakened by the rumbling in his tummy. Lovely pastel illustration create an appealing arctic landscape.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magnus and his friends set out to see where a loud, rumbling noise is coming from, only to find out the noise is coming from his tummy.

[Norkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The animals teamed up to get to the bottom of the mysterious noise. In the end, some fun facts about each artic animal.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very prettily illustrated

[Dana Storytime Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although predictable for an adult and maybe some kids, this was a very cute and fun story and the illustrations of the animals and the Artic were very nicely done.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of arctic animals and a funny ending make this simple story a fun one for storytime.

[charlene.librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the icy Arctic plains, a seal named Magnus, arctic hares (no doubt), fox, owl, polar bear, and finally a walrus hear a rumble, rumble, rumble and search out what that noise is!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all the illustrations and all of the different type of arctic animals! Such a fun easy read.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute preschool and up book about a seal that hears a noise and goes to all his friends trying to figure out what the noise is. Cute twist.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The answer to the mystery is obvious from the first page, but the art is cute, and the animals are fun.

[Sawy-o]

Fun! We did this for a storywalk in Summer 2022

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable book about arctic sounds, and hungry animals! Beautiful art and lovely little animal bio's on the inside of the back cover!

[linnybee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet, beautiful book certainly does not disappoint.

The story is fairly cut-and-paste, though it is told well. Magnus the seal hears rumbling sounds and sets off with the help of other arctic animal friends to find where they are coming from. A great concept introduced in this book is how the same sound could be coming from many different sources. Magnus queries if it is the creaking of the trees, the racking of the ice, and several other options before he finds the true source. While it seemed obvious to me as an adult where the rumbling was coming from, this book offers an opportunity for practicing predicting while reading. You can ask your child where they think the rumbling is originating, and then discuss afterward if you were right. There is a bonus twist at the end that allows for two correct answers!

[Dallin Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple book that brings big laughs! Dallin loved this mystery and was delighted by the answer to the question, "What's that noise?"