A cricket is born who cannot talk! A bigger cricket welcomes him to the world, then a locust, a grasshopper and many other insects, but each time the tiny cricket rubs his wings together in vain: no sound emerges. In the end, however, he meets another quiet cricket, and manages to find his "voice". Children will love the repetitive text; the steady parade of new creatures (including "a spittlebug, slurping in a sea of froth"); and of course the happy ending. This is one of a series of Eric Carle books with a mechanical twist: in this case, the quiet cricket bursts into (surprisingly authentic) electronic song as you turn the last page. (The battery is replaceable.) An amusement for the ears, but most ofall--as ever with Carle--a feast for the eyes. The colourful cut-paper illustrations are simply gorgeous, drawing you in even on the hundredth reading. (And there will be a hundredth reading, followed by many more.) (Ages 0 to 4 years) --Richard Farr

Genre: Fiction (Childrens)