Let's Make a Joyful Noise

November 15, 2007
Accompanied by his parents and little sister, a boy rides his bike through a city park. Church bells ring, and a bluebird, flying along in the same direction, keep up a steady song. The family stops to listen to a group of street musicians, who draw a crowd of listeners. Then the family goes on to church, where they raise their voices in a song of praise, accompanied by the sounds of piano, guitar, clapping, and foot tapping. The line Lets make a joyful noise to the Lord recurs throughout the rhythmic, rhyming verses of the text, while the cumulative chorus of sounds builds to its final crescendo: Hallelujah! / Hallelujah! / Clap, Clap, Clap / Tap, Tap, Tap / Strum, Strum, Strum / Hum, Hum, Hum / Tweet-a-Tweet Tweet / Ding Dong Ding. In fluid lines, streaming banners full of musical notes and words wind through the line-and-watercolor illustrations. A rewarding read-aloud choice, this picture book captures the spirit of Psalm 100 and interprets it gracefully in a modern setting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 2-A cumulative text enumerates the sounds family members encounter as they make their way to church. The final line of each rhymed stanza repeats the refrain, "And make a joyful noise to the Lord!" The narrative describes the "tweets," "strums," and "taps" and encourages readers to chime in, ending with giving thanks for "this great, noisy day." Bates uses sepia-toned watercolor and pencil to reflect the action in each stanza, with the bird that started it all appearing on each page. Visible pencil lines beneath the art work well to convey movement, but, in combination with the washed-out tones, give the pages a first-draft look. The artist makes interesting use of stylized music staffs and handwritten onomatopoetic words throughout the text and on the endpapers to show that all noise can be music to God, but those, too, add to the unfinished feel of the illustrations. The rhyming stanzas need some practice to get right during read-alouds, but they're worth the effort; using different emphasis changes the rhyme from Sunday-school sweetness to a bouncy preschool rap. The overall result is uneven, though, and weaker than its predecessors, "Give Thanks to the Lord" and "I Will Rejoice" (both Zonderkidz, 2007)."Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC"

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