WREN

A cacophony of chaotic sound brings a new brother and sister together.

Wren can’t catch a break. Life in his household has been noisy to begin with, what with his four other siblings, mom, and dad (the whole family presents White) always making a ruckus. But not even their racket can compete with Wren’s new baby sister. She’s “louder than a train and wail[s] for longer than a fire engine.” Worse, nothing seems to quiet her down! Fed up, Wren moves in with his grandparents in the countryside. There, life is quiet and calm, but all too soon Wren starts missing home. And when he returns, he finds that perhaps he has more in common with his sister than anyone ever realized. An emphatic palette of oranges, blues, and yellows brings Wren’s plight to anarchic life. In fact, Wren’s craving for calm paints the oasis at his grandparents’ house as so pleasant that children may have a hard time believing anyone would ever want to leave. Yet the heart of the story lies in its sibling love. Wren’s eventual relationship with his new baby sister will be a welcome addition to the ranks of such new-baby standouts as One Special Day, by Lola M. Schaefer and illustrated by Jessica Meserve (2012).

Sensory overload is no match for the lure of tranquility—until it is, in this effortlessly charming tale.