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Summary
Summary
When Magnus the seal is awakened by a rumbling sound, it may be closer than he thinks in a funny, kid-friendly story that winds up with facts about Arctic creatures.
Rumble, rumble, rumble. . . . What's that noise?
Magnus the Arctic seal wakes up from a very deep sleep one morning, puzzled by a strange rumbling sound. What's that noise? Could it be the creaking of the trees? The whistling of the wind? The cracking of the ice? The roaring of the sea? Hare, Owl, and Polar Bear don't have any idea, but Walrus has a good suggestion: it could be Magnus's rumbling tummy! After a yummy feast of plump, pink shrimp, the friends all settle down to sleep -- but suddenly there's another rumbling sound. What's that noise? Readers curious about the creatures can learn more about them and their environment in an informative final spread.
Author Notes
Naomi Howarth is a costume designer as well as an illustrator. She is the author-illustrator of The Crow's Tale, which was short-listed for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She lives in London.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--When Magnus the seal awakes to an odd rumbling, he consults his other Arctic friends one at a time to help determine the source of the noise. Only later do the animals find out what the rumbling is, with hilarious results. Howarth's use of repetition and other classic storytelling elements make this an excellent read-aloud, while her addition of the rumbling sound on every other page makes the tale somewhat interactive for audiences. Her artwork is equally charming; the animal friends are perfectly balanced between cartoon and realistic, while her light background color palette gives a relaxing tone and sets her characters apart. 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. VERDICT A charming read-aloud and a good addition to elementary library collections.--Peter Blenski, Hartland Public Library, WI
Kirkus Review
A rumbling noise puzzles animals living in the Arctic in this picture book.Magnus, a ringed seal, awakens from a "very deep sleep" to hear a "long, low rumbling sound." After ruling out the wind, the sea, and an iceberg, he goes to find a friend with better ears to ask. Hare, with its long ears, doesn't know either, so they ask Owl, and then Fox, Polar Bear, and Walrus. In this way, readers are introduced to some of the animals living in the Arctic. Author/illustrator Howarth's narrative is lighthearted and mildly humorous, but it is also predictable and relies heavily on the rule of three, making it textually most suitable for readers on the younger end of the range. 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 (with the exception of the puzzling inclusion of two small sea horses in the double-page illustration of the underwater Arctic ocean). The cover and one inside illustration, showing pinky-red shrimp dangling comically from the seal's jaws, may also give pause to readers who don't find eating meat particularly humorous. Backmatter relays more information about each animal, including a dim prognosis due to the melting ice of our changing climate. This late introduction of doom in a lightly humorous story comes without preparation and leaves a dampening feeling.This lighthearted tale features some less-than-well-integrated elements. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Howarth takes readers on a journey through the arctic with Magnus the ringed seal, who, after a long slumber, is surprised to wake up to a very loud rumble rumble. What could it be? An iceberg cracking? The wind howling? He searches for his friends to help him solve this mystery. Readers meet (Arctic) Hare, (Snowy) Owl, Polar Bear, (Arctic) Fox, and Walrus, who cumulatively join Magnus' hunt to find the source of the sound. It's only when the noise stops after Magnus takes a quick dip to eat some shrimp that they realize the rumbling had come from the seal's hungry tummy! This hilarious twist will make youngsters laugh out loud. After all partake in a delicious meal, another loud rumbling is heard. What's that noise? It's just Magnus snoring. 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.--Rosie Camargo Copyright 2020 Booklist
