Crash, Rattle, Roar! Ruff-ruff, Stomp, Clap!
Ah, the sounds of a house with young children. Quiet- no, not there, but we love every moment of it! OK, maybe, not every moment (not that that means we love our children any less!). . . But young children do love sounds, especially if they are making them and why not harness that love to help them learn to listen to and identify sounds while creating moments to love?
Books with sounds are some of our favorite books. These books create giggles as children watch adults transform into gorillas, trucks, and firecrackers, and are perfect for kids who need to move. As children experience the sounds of objects, actions, and animals in these books, they are, also, developing phonetic awareness, identifying sounds, and learning about our world. All of those skills are basic not only to speaking, but reading and writing and listening. With all that play and fun in mind, here are some recommendations for books that explore sounds.
Gobble, Growl, Grunt by Peter Spier- This board book clamors with the sounds of animals. Different farm animals, primates, and birds are only part of the diversity explored in this zoo of a book. Gobble, Growl, Grunt will keep your child occupied making sounds for hours while they get introduced to an amazing array of animals. Our copy is so worn from our two kids it is falling apart!
Clang, Clang, Bang, Bang by Robert Burleigh and Beppe Giacobbe- Just like the title suggests, this book recreates the sounds of the city. Trucks, taxis, and cars! Perfect for the child who loves cars!
Summer Beat by Betsy Franco- This book includes the sounds of summer as part of the text. It is the perfect book for reminiscing about summer as we enter into fall. Helping children recall what they have done develops their memories, builds an awareness of time, and an understanding of sequence.
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers- A little girl walks in her neighborhood with her dad and listens to the sounds all around them. The perfect read before taking a listening walk of your own with your child. Also, a nice way to get your child to take a few moments listening to sounds rather than creating them! After reading this book, play a little game where you close your eyes for a few seconds (you will be able to gradually increase the time the more you play), and then try to remember everything you heard.
Sounds All Around (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer and Holly Keller- What list would be complete without a science book? After making all those noises, explore what makes sound and then go around the house banging on things to see what sounds they make, feel how they vibrate when they are making noise, and how the sound stops if you keep them from vibrating.
As always I hope you enjoy these books and reading them creates more of those silly, exuberant moments that make us love being with a young child! Feel free to post your own favorite books about noises below!
(This blog uses the Amazon affiliate program so when you click on the title and purchase through Amazon, you are supporting us! If you don't purchase through these links, please, be sure to support your local, independent bookstore or find them at your library!)