Rumble and Roar: Sound around the World

by Sue Fliess, Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Babble / Swoosh / Roar and WHOOSH!

The roar of a waterfall, the chirp of insects, the thump of a heartbeat—sound is all around us! Rhyming text and atmospheric illustrations present four children in different parts of the world who encounter all sorts of sounds.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Science, Storytime, Nonfiction, Animals

Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Sue Fliess ("fleece") is the bestselling author of Robots, Robots Everywhere!, I'm a Ballerina! and How to Trap a Leprechaun, and more than 35 other children's books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins, Mary Had a Little Lab, Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies, and many Little Golden Books. Her books have sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. Her background is in copywriting and PR/marketing, and her essays have appeared in O Magazine, HuffPo, Writer's Digest, and more. Fliess has also written for Walt Disney.

Her books have received honors from the SCBWI, have been used in school curricula, museum educational programs, and have even been translated into multiple languages. The Bug Book was chosen for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library three years in a row and The Hug Book was selected to the Imagination Library Australia.

She's a member of SCBWI, Children's Book Guild of DC, and the Author's Guild. She does book signings, school visits, and speaking engagements.

When she's not writing, she is walking her two silly English Labradors or busy with her two teen boys. She really misses traveling. Sue lives in Northern VA with her family. Visit her at www.suefliess.com.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical texts and beautiful illustrations draw kids into thinking about sounds. Whirs, snarls, whooshes, snaps, growls - they are all different sounds you might hear no matter where you live. A two-page end note provides information about the science of sound - what it is in scientific terms, how we make it, how animals use it and what some of the most interesting sounds are caused by. This book would be a great introduction to a science lesson but most of the information in it is basic. It came to us cataloged as nonfiction but we've moved it to picture books because it will get more circulation there.

[Katie Akerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful and fun to read over and over again. My son has loved associating each sound with what he believes it comes from. The colors on each page are so vivid and express how it must feel to be in that place. I really love how many different faces and different places are represented. I would love to hear a version of this book in audio.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book that highlights different sounds you might hear around the world and in nature, starting with the beginning of the day and ending with the children going to sleep. I liked all the diversity in the illustrations and all the different natural settings highlighted.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated! I love the minimalist wording that allows young readers to *imagine* all the sounds that they are seeing. I can see this as a wonderful interactive read aloud.

[Halle McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ // Originally, Rumble and Roar caught my attention because of the beautiful book cover, and I was pleasantly surprised by this children’s book.

The main section of this book shares sounds heard around the world, and the end tells the science of sound and other related topics. Even as an adult, I learned more about how the ear works, and I especially enjoyed the “fun fact” bubbles. At first, I thought the book would be best for younger kids, but science section would be interesting for older kids as well.

The illustrations were muted but colorful, and the artist did a beautiful job of including diversity into the story. The pictures reminded me of an animal magnet set I bought from Anthropology, so I can easily see the book being sold there.

I would purchase this book for any child under 10 years old in my life.

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.]

This book is a nice introduction to onomatopoeia and boasts gorgeous illustrations depicting children, families, and animals living in four different parts of the world. These illustrations are good for fostering conversations about these different areas and discussing similarities and differences between them.

I feel like different aspects will appeal to different ages/stages. If you are reading this aloud to a child, the rhyming parts may appeal more to a 2-or 3-year-old. They did not capture the attention of my Pre-K child, although he did like the illustrations—especially the ones of the volcano and the illustration of the avalanche.

If you have an emerging reader, he/she/they may enjoy reading the rhyming portion aloud to you and sounding out the words together.

If you have second or third grader, The Science of Sound portion at the end of the book may appeal to him/her/them. This section covers “What Is Sound,” “How Does the Heart Beat,” “How Do Animals Use Sound to Communicate,” and “What Makes a Volcano Erupt”. My second grader liked this entire section. My Pre-K child was interested in the illustrations of the ear and of the vocal cords in this section, and this opened up additional discussions about these body parts. The dense text of this section was too much to hold the Pre-K child's attention, though.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! Sounds of the world are explored in short verses, with plenty of opportunity for interaction. There are lots of animals to identify, sounds to imitate, and natural phenomena to observe. This is an excellent lesson in expressive language and onomatopoeia.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! They're bright, bold, and tremendously detailed--students will be fascinated. It's structured so that it could be a nice wind-down book, but this would be great for circle time or one-on-one with a reading partner too. This would be a great addition to pre-K and elementary school and classroom libraries.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Jessica Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully illustrated book. Rumble and Roar is a simple book that allows us to focus on the sounds that we hear. The wonderful illustrations and the simple concept of the book make a great book for young children. I read this to my 5 year old who really had no interest in the book but I imagine this book would be great for younger children. Rumble and Roar is full of words and sounds that I know my kids would have enjoyed as toddlers. I think this would be a great book for young children who would be interested in all the fun sounds. Definitely recommend for young children.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adults and children alike will enjoy this beautifully illustrated book that explores the wonders of sound all around us. My son and I love to sit outside and listen to nature, so this book was wonderful to share with him. The vibrant and rich pictures paired well with the carefully selected words, and I enjoyed the diversity on every page. I especially liked the science of sound explanation at the end of the book. I highly recommend this and can’t wait to add it to our collection when it publishes. Thank you to NetGalley, Millbrook Press, Sue Fliess and Khoa Le for an early read of this treasure.

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful rhyming book made all out of sound words. The illustrations are beautifully matching the sounds they hear and great info in the back about the science of sound! Would use for a read aloud.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations that really bring the reader into the book and help them to feel the sounds they are describing. It shows so many different sounds from all over the world, and in the end ties all the children that were throughout the book together in a way to really show that sounds are everywhere and we all experience them. Love the couple pages of facts at the end. While it may be a bit advance for the younger age this book seems to be targeted for, it is great for the adults reading it to help explain some to them.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the Lerner Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this beautiful book. Gorgeous illustrations and minimal rhyming language join in the exploration of sound. The young reader is encouraged to imagine the sounds depicted in the detailed illustrations. The science of sound section at the end of the book provides more information about how sounds are formed, what a sound is, how the heart beats, how animals use sound to communicate, etc and might be of interest to the older child.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toddlers through 1st grade will love the full spread illustrations and bold text in this mixed media illustrated book focused on sounds found everywhere. Care-givers will have plenty of material to help increase their youngster’s vocabulary and recognition of a variety of animals and landforms. The end notes on the science of sound must be designed for those reading to children as its information and vocabulary on the science of sound is geared to middle grade to junior high level readers.

Thanks for the print arc, Millbrook Press/Lerner Publications Group.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Fliess captures the sounds that surround us. With simple text, they let readers to hear these sounds through the word choices. The lovely artwork draws readers further in as they visualize the locations. This is one that works better as a read aloud. Families or classes can share together and take turns reading the sounds. Fliess also provides informative text about sound at the end of the story.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has lovely illustrations and great rhyming that's enjoyable to look at and read. This is a great children's book about sounds and beautiful pictures from around the world. My kids love this and I'm looking at getting a few copies so each one of my kids can have their own. Thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group/Millbrook Press for letting me read and review this lovely book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group, Millbrook Press for a free digital copy.

A masterfully illustrated book that encompasses the onomatopoeia of sound with a fun rhyming cadence. It celebrates the variety of sounds in various situations. I think it will be both an educational and fun read for children.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to read aloud and discuss what makes the sounds in each picture. I think it would work well with lower elementary and any grade that learns about the science of sound. The illustrations are excellent although a few have some odd floral details that I wish has either not been used or had been continued throughout.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adults and kids alike will enjoy reading this rhythmic rhyming verse. Colorful pictures make for great spot the sound and observation discussion for pair/group reads. The last two pages are dedicated to explaining the science behind sound, how we and other animals communicate and hear, as well as why volcanoes erupt. A great addition for your personal or school library.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that begs to be read aloud - in storytimes to groups of all ages or one on one with young children where you can pour over the pictures together. The simple rhyming text will also work for beginning readers or those learning English, while the science notes at the end expand the possible curriculum uses of the book. Highly recommended!

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this celebration of the many sounds that can be heard in the world, from the barks of dogs to chirps of birds, the blasts of a volcano and the slosh of water. Rhyming, short, perfect for storytime, with appealing pictures showing people in different places the world.

Themes: Sound, Around the World, STEM
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute rhyming book about sounds around the globe. Love the illustrations.

[Ashley Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rumble and Roar: Sound around the World is a captivating journey that introduces young readers to the symphony of sounds in different corners of the globe. With its richly rhyming text and atmospheric illustrations, this book takes you on an adventure as four children from diverse backgrounds explore the world's auditory wonders. The onomatopoeic words and textless spreads create a sensory experience that encourages children to listen, imagine, and engage with the natural sounds around them. The stunning, full-color illustrations bring to life the beauty of nature and the diversity of cultures. It's an ideal read-aloud for preschoolers through second graders, offering an opportunity for both enjoyment and discussions about the rich tapestry of sounds that surround us. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poem about sound and the things sounds make and the silly words we use to express them.

The real magic of this story is the artwork. Once again Khoa Le is on top of it, creating beautiful landscapes and colors and flooring the imagination. Khoa Le earns the 4 stars here. She has outdone herself. I'm glad I'm seeing so many of her works out that. She is a gem.

This goes fast and kids might like the brevity or just hearing it read out loud would be fun. Great for a quick bedtime story.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four children hear different sounds as they go out in their parts of the world. The sparse rhyming text allows you to focus on the individual sounds mentioned. In a one-on-one reading, you can have children point to the different beings or things in the illustrations causing the sounds. A great choice for a storytime about the 5 senses because it does such a good job focusing on sound/listening. It would be great for an outdoor storytime because there will be more sounds around you.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this because I fell in love with the artist's work from other books and am reading all I can with her art. The story & concept in this one is similar to Flash & Gleam but it's more effective here. Still a great science lesson, with backmatter and with terrific vocabulary words. But the art is even better because it's organized and drawn in a way that I can tell the children apart from one another more easily. Recommended to all families w/ young children.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. The illustrations. Y'all. There is a stunning spread of the heart as a flower and the leaves spread out like veins.....and the image of a pregnant woman with a baby in utero. YES YES YES

And I want to do this book in storytime due to the sounds. Asking what makes which sound. What else is seen on the pages. SO good

[Bridgitte Rodguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some great read aloud words in this book. In fact the entire text is fun sound words. The illustrations take us around the world, to different places, different habitats. From volcanoes, and forests, and oceans, and lakes, people and animals. There is some nice backmatter that explores how we hear, and how animals communicate with sound.

[Mr. George The Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does what some books are meant to do...entertain, enlighten, and engage. The sounds around the world are shared in a visual and textual delight. I appreciate this books meaning, action, and execution of a simple yet powerful concept. Sound.

[Krease Gansen]

Rumble and Roar showcases sound. From the sound of waking to the roaring sound of the volcano, words make different sounds. Not only exploring sounds by how ears hear, but how vocal cords also vibrate, and other fun facts about sound.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book with sounds from around the world (from bird chirps, to volcano blasts, to ticking clocks). There’s also very detailed Back-matter on sounds and other subjects covered in the book. I really love the illustrations!