THE LOUDNESS OF SAM
by James Proimos
Proimos (Joe’s Wish, 1998), in cartoony pictures, celebrates loud colors, gargantuan mouths, and silly sound effects. Baby Sam has an open mouth the size of an air-raid siren, with a voice to match. His proud parents see only the good side of his noisemaking, and never shush or hush him. When Aunt Tillie (who lives in the big city) invites Sam for a visit, he finds that he loves the variety city life provides, but hates being shushed in libraries, theaters, and restaurants. Luckily Sam’s vivacity is catching and both he and Aunt Tillie are soon giggling and chortling out loud. Children will loves this, and the strength of Proimos’s illustrations cover for the plot weakness—the arbitrary assumption that loudness is a country trait, any more than reserve belongs to the city. (Picture book. 4-8)