What's That Noise?

Praise

A rumbling noise puzzles animals living in the Arctic in this picture book…Lovely illustrations combine pastel colors and textured mottling with plenty of white space to conjure up a beautiful and accurate Arctic landscape in all its pristine glory.
—Kirkus Reviews

Howarth’s full-page watercolor illustrations are brushed with pastel pinks and purples, cool blues, and, of course, snowy white to create an appealing arctic landscape, but the endearing animals are the highlight. Facts about the animals and their arctic habitat conclude.
—Booklist

The author’s note in the back gives facts about each of the animals mentioned and talks about climate change, addressing how some of the animals, like the polar bear and the seal, are having difficulty adapting to environmental changes. This can serve as a great bridge to further discussion. A charming read-aloud and a good addition to elementary library collections.
—School Library Journal

Howarth’s art beautifully captures the Arctic in textured watercolor, alluding to the snow’s powdery texture and the swooshing of the wind; the animals are cute and striking, with the watercolor patterns lending Magnus and Walrus interestingly spotted textures on their backs in contrast with their cartoonish grins.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books