The Very Quiet Cricket Board Book

I will always have a great memory of this book. This was my toddler's favorite in daycare so we got it for his birthday. The first day he had it he fell asleep with the book opened to the last page (chirp chirp) and his arm around it.
Now his brother likes it, but not nearly as much.

I am very familiar with Eric Carle's books because my kid loved his book at young age, and I love them too. I was ordering it for my friend's young kid; however, to my surprise it was not the broad, hard pages like used to be. Instead the pages inside are thin papers, and the size is way too big. Maybe I didn't read carefully about the dimension of the book. But anyway, it is not what I expected, and the original version is much better in terms of size and inside pages.

I bought this book 15 years or so ago for my daughter who loved it so much that when I needed a gift for a friend's son, I immediately got it. The son loves it just as much as my daughter did. Got them both all of Eric Carle's books. Beautiful illustrations, the story is sweet and the surprise at the end still brings a smile to my face.

I ordered this book for a gift based on how much my children had enjoyed it. The book came with 2 batteries to operated the cricket chirping sounds but the book came with dead batteries. I unscrewed the battery compartment but still will not work!

The storyline was good however The condition of the book was not at the end of the story the cricket did not share due to dead battery in the book
Did not have time to return. Gave it to the child defective

My son loves this book but the sound did not work when the book arrived. So I have to buy a new battery for a brand new book. Seller should have better quality control. The cricket sound is crucial to the story and we were very disappointed that the book did not work properly when we received it.

I bought this book for my 2 year old son, thinking he'd love the chirp at the end! The book arrived, however the cricket does not chirp at the end, as it did in my favorite childhood book. The sensor is broken. WE DID NOT DO IT. It was broken upon arrival.

Love this book. The story is so sweet and has a happy ending which actually makes noise! Kids love that part. But when I recieved this item for a birthday gift to a little 1 year old, the book was all scratched up and the cricket sound at the end, didn't work! I was super upset. Yes, the store refunded me and gave me free shipping to send it back, but I had to pay for the packaging to send it back and then not to mention, I didn't have a book for this birthday party. Very irritated. My recommendation is to NOT order this book from the store and check a local bookstore. I did that already and they were all sold out.

This was a very nice book; however, I purchased two of them and one did not make noise. I assume it was the battery, just have not checked as of yet.

The book itself is very cute and loved it. Just wish they both would have worked for my granddaughter and niece.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces a number of insects with a sweet and compelling story. My preschool grandchildren loved the repeated lines on many of the pages and the "surprise" ending with sound effects which were enjoyed. I highly recommend it.

Oh I am soooo very disappointed. This is my favorite children's book ever. I ordered the paperback and it doesn't have the cricket sound in the book like the hard cover book has. Why didn't it have that specified? That's what makes the book so interesting for the children. I love their faces as they wait for the sound, even if they've heard the story many times.

It's hard to go wrong with an Eric Carle book, and this book is certainly delightfully written and drawn. It has increased my son's vocabulary, and he finds the story very engaging. I didn't read carefully when I bought it, however, and I was surprised to find that the book "chirps" when you get to last page. I find this feature totally unnecessary and I think it takes away from the impact of the book. I imagine most parents and children would happily provide the chirps themselves. If I had it to purchase again, I would find a version without that feature.

I tried purchasing this book TWICE (once initially and then again when I exchanged broken for a new one) and both times the tab was broken upon arrival. I will not be purchasing the board book and would not recommend anybody doing so either.

The pattern of language in this book makes it a fan favorite with my three-year-old grandson who is intrigued with anything having to do with nature. Beautifully illustrated! Ten-year-olds love it, too. A great read for all ages.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with this classic book. There is a wonderful surprise at the end of the book requiring batteries that didn't work. When we replaced the batteries the contact would you shut off when the book was closed so it was easy to see how the batteries that came with the book didn't work. Was really glad there was time to replace the book in time for gift giving. The return with the store went very smoothly.

I am a retired school librarian and had read this book many times to young students, so I was excited to get this for my young grandson. However, the batteries that came with the book did not work, so the cricket would not "chirp" at the end of the book....and pretty much the whole point of this story is to hear the cricket at the end! I took out the batteries and tried putting them in the other way, but still no luck. I was not able to give this as a Christmas present like I had planned. I would be happy to change my rating if the seller would send me batteries or a replacement book. Turned out to not be a good deal for me...I'm just sitting here with a dead cricket and needing to go spend more money on batteries.

My son loves this book so much that he wore out the first copy he received. So we went to the store to get him a replacement for Christmas. it arrived just before Christmas, only to open it and find that it doesnt work. Replacement batteries didnt help, so I sent it back for another replacement. New replacement just arrived and it doesnt work either. I highly recommend this book, but I also highly recommend buying it from anyone other than the store. the store simply cannot deliver a working edition of the book

DID NOT work. battery was dead and rather than send it back I opted to just replace the battery on my own. As you turn each page there is a mechanism that makes a chirping sound. well, there was supposed to be.
It was a gift so return was not an option.

This book is supposed to make a cricket noise on the last page. It worked for a few reads then stopped. Missed the return window so disappointed by that. My toddler doesn't seem to care though so not a deal breaker.

I purchased this book years ago when it was first published and loved reading it to my young children and getting to the end to find the cricket noise maker. I wanted to buy another book because we read it so much that the noise maker broke and now I want to read it with grandchildren. I was not shipped a new book, but instead one with no noise maker. You have to have the noise maker to get the full experience of the story. Eric Carle is one of my favorite children's authors. I enjoy the stories as well as the illustrations.

If I could, I would give this no stars. The book was bent and the batteries were already dead on arrival. The first time I ordered it I thought it was a fluke, so I ordered a replacement. The replacement was exactly the same. I was very upset. don't sell broken products, the store!

This is a cute book. However, the sound effects are pivotal to the story line, so it is a very big deal if the sound does not work. I have shopped at the store for many years without issue, however Christmas 2009 must have been a very dark period for their customer service. My advice - if you are buying this book as a gift, make sure you order with a few weeks to spare, because if the sound doesn't work, the story is kind if ruined.

The Very Quiet Cricket, like other books by Eric Carle that I've read to our daughters, has pleasing illustrations and a story that's interesting enough for parents (who get to read it over & over). This book also has an especially calming repetition throughout the book, making it a good book for reading before naps or bedtime. Even at about 1 year old, though they clearly didn't understand the words, our daughters responded to the calming repetition. A few of the bugs have names that would be hard to pronounce for an early reader, but is overall a good story/picture book for preschoolers.

I'd never heard of Eric Carle before having kids but I'm glad a friend introduced us to his books via a baby shower gift. They just seem to "work" for babies. I think every parent & child should have at least one of his books as a go-to at bedtime. The Very Quiet Cricket would definitely be a good choice.

I am purchasing this book for my daughter and I am not sure if she will like it, but we have two other Eric Carle books which she loves, so I think this one will be a hit as well.

This was a favorite for me when I was a kid. I never missed an episode of Reading Rainbow, and this book was read on the show once. The illustrations caught my attention, and the voice of the lady reading the story held it for the entire show. After that, I checked it out from the library and read it over and over. When I grew up I had completely forgotten about it until I got pregnant. Now I think my daughter is old enough to appreciate it so I am glad to have it in the house once more. My inner child will be very pleased! lol!

I'll update this review again once we've read it with my daughter and post her reaction. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

Bugs are one very important part of our world. They're so small that they can fit in the palm of our hands, they come in all shapes and sizes, and can be in any place possible. But for a little cricket, his journey to find his voice will take him to see different insects.

In the book, a newly-hatched cricket has just been brought and when he tries to speak, he can't do it so he decides to go ona journey to find it. During that, he meets all kinds of insects which include a bumblebee, praying mantis, cicada, misquitoes, worm, and luna moth. But will the quiet cricket find his chirp by the end of the story.

"The Very Quiet Cricket" is great to show preschoolers the world of insects. The art and the story and very good and it could show kids to help them find their inner voiceand find them a new friend. In the end, kids will truly go buggy for this book of bugs.

We take "leap into literature" at ymca. It's a circle time story and craft project. Normally my son won't sit still in the class because it's in the big gym with all of the climbing stuff. At home he's been sitting through 8 minute Dr suess books repeatedly. Today he kept interrupting the reader and saying "I LOVE this book!". Of course I tried to get him to not interrupt, and then I came home and bought it.

Minus one star because while I like the writing in EC books I think the artistry is hideous.

We love The Very Quiet Cricket, one of Eric Carle's best. It is the story of a very young cricket who wants to talk to the world around him, but he hasn't yet learned how. He rubs and rubs his wings together, but "nothing happens. Not a sound." Until the surprise on the very last page.

This is a great end of the day, getting ready for bed book. I read it to my young one in a very soft voice, and she listens very quietly and intently, saying the words under her breath. Even after the most rowdy of days, THIS will quiet her down. And of course, there is always breathless anticipation for the final page...will the cricket finally chirp?

The illustrations are very cute, and the simple ideas and repetition of sounds are very intriguing for little ones to follow throughout. This board book is VERY sturdy and stands up to much loving from little hands. And so, far the surprise ending just keeps on ticking...er, chirping.

I bought this board book used at a garage sale. The last page is thicker and chirps like a cricket when you turn to the last page. My son and I love the story, it's good for bedtime, it has a nice rhythm, the little cricket grows up during the story. There isn't too much of the story on each page, so he doesn't get bored while I'm reading it to him. And he likes the repetition on each page.

This was one of my first Eric Carle books. It's a very friendly book featuring a baby cricket, new to the world being greeted by a variety of friendly insects.

It's also a wonderful way to introduce children to many different kinds of insects, all wonderfully illustrated.

The story is written in a way where a poetic rhythm can be created easily that's carried from page to page to help with certain emphasis that builds expectation. That's seems to be the case with most of Erics books. Simple stories and repetition for emphasis.

Throught this story "the very quite cricket wants to say hello so he rubs his legs together and nothing happens not a sound!"

It ends with the very quite cricket meeting another cricket who is also very quiet. this time when he rubs his legs together you turn the page and here an actual cricket chirp which is sampled or synthisized onto a little chip with replaceble batteries inserted into the back cover controlled by a simple attachment thats activated when you turn the last page. Pretty cool! I love it and so do my kids!

This is one of my favorite of all Eric Carle books, right up there with the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love the repetition, the introduction to different insects, the quiet of watching the Luna moth, and the subtle "keep trying" message of the little cricket trying to make a sound.

HOWEVER, after buying YET ANOTHER hard cover copy, and even keeping it as a "teacher only" book in my preschool classroom (something I dislike in theory), I am tired of the surprise at the end not working for long. This last copy was read less than a dozen times, only onthe hands of an adult, and the chirper no longer works. I think I am done buying this book.

Next to the Hungry Caterpillar this is one of our favourite books in the house, and a favourite Carle book. We have this in board book as we have had this book since my kids were babies. It is still popular as it is really also an early reader - recognising various animals in the garden (although not all are relevant)

This is about a cricket who makes no sound, he meets various other insects in his quest to find out what sound he makes, but he can't do anything.

Finally on the last page he meets another cricket, and makes a sound. The nice surprise is that there is a sensor and when you open that page the sensor sets off a lovely cricket sound (doesn't it remind you of summer nights)

Lovely illustrations, a bit of a quizzical looking cricket, but cut and appealing. Nice use of language and a simple idea which is easily followed through.

I read the book the Very Quiet Cricket upon the prodding of my sister who happens to be a pre-school teacher. She was preparing several synopses on Eric Carle books which would be printed in the programme of her school's forthcoming Reading Recital. My sister asked me to help her write the synopsis to this book as well as 3 other books. Eric Carle's storytelling in the Very Quiet Cricket caught my curiosity as different insects interacted with our hero page after colorful page. The story ended in a way which delighted me and gave me such respect for the lowly cricket. I discovered a beautiful love story in the book, a story of how awesome nature really is. For me, the chirping sound in the last page really became "the most beautiful sound I had ever heard".

Ok this book is awful. Repeat "The little cricket wanted to answer so he rubbed his wings together. But nothing happened. Not a sound." NINE TIMES! Yes, on almost every single page. I'm used to repetitive books. I'll read Green Eggs and Ham no problem. And normally I like Eric Carle and the extra star is for the charming art. But I hate this book and I'm hiding it from my one year old.

This was one of my favorite books as a child. Eric Carle tells the story of a cricket who dreams of making the beautiful sound that all of the other crickets make when they rub their wings together. Sadly, no matter how hard the cricket tries, he can't seem to make his dream come true.

The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful. And I really love the surprise at the end. What a wonderful finish to a wonderful book.

The Very Quiet Cricket is one of my favorite Eric Carle books. His trademark gorgeous illustrations are here, along with a simple story about a little cricket who can't make noises like the other insects. (When the little cricket rubs his wings together, I have the children I teach rub the palms of their hands together - it makes a very quiet sound - so I say "but he hardly made a sound." It's so exciting at the end when he meets the girl cricket who inspires him to make his special cricket "chirp" - reproduced here electronically. The children are just mesmerized. Lovely story!

My daughter (18 mos) and I love this book. I especially like the story as it is unique. A great way to introduce children to different types of bugs. None of the bug names are hard to pronounce, but then again, I was an amateur entymologist in my formitive years. *wink* And the ending with the cricket chirping is very cute. I like this one as much as his other well known books: hungry caterpillar, busy spider, brown bear, polar bear, panda bear, do kangaroos have mothers too, etc etc. Definitely add this book to your Carle Collection.

My kids loved this story. In fact, I read it so often, I wore the book out!
I really didn't have much trouble with the names of the bugs. and to replace the lack of animal sounds, I just "sounded" like a bee, or a cicada, etc when I used that character's "voice". The joy of a story, aside from the written word, is how it's read, in my opinion.
The story is simple and sweet, the artwork is excellent, and all the kids seem to love the ending. What more could you ask to add to your children's book collection?

this isn't a favorite of mine. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is better. The cricket's story isn't as interesting to the children I've worked with as the caterpillar's. The illustrations are vintage Carle - we all did love the pictures. And I like that he introduces new vocabulary for children, and the use of repitition is still there. Some of the bug names were even hard for a few of the adults, however. Overall, I'd say check this out from the library if your child is a fan of Carle's work and has already read The Very Busy Spider and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. If they love it, then you can think about buying it.

I have found this book useful in my work with children with selective mutism, a childhood anxiety disorder. It validates the child's struggle between the strong desire to interact (e.g., "The little cricket wanted to answer ...") and the sense of inability to do so (e.g., "so he rubbed his wings together. But nothing happened. Not a sound."). The joy the child feels when he/she finally gets to hear the cricket can be related to the joy others feel when they get to hear the child's voice. The positive interpersonal response the cricket expriences upon finally being heard provides a metaphor that can be used in play therapy to reinforce the theme that interpersonal relationships can have a positive effect, and therefore be worth the risk, increasing sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence, thereby reducing anxiety. Not only is it a great book for any child, I also recommend it to parents as well as clinicians treating children with selective mutism.

My whole family loves Eric Carle. The Very Quiet Cricket is well recieved by the children, as they like the cricket noise at the end of the book. However, I must concur with other critics of this book that the names of he bugs in this book detract from the ease of reading, or more specifically the memorization of the words. The kids always want me to read it to them over and over.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear does a much better job, and may be a better addition if you don't alreay have it.

This is a great book! I was reading some of the reviews. yes the bugs are difficult to say but this is how the child learns. My children love this story and the illustrations are every bit as good as all of Eric Carle books! My son loves bugs and this book!!! The ending is the best part so you will have to read and reread it many, many times. This book would make a wonderful addition to any childs library!

My two year old son loves The Very Quiet Cricket; and this book, along with "Brown Bear, Brown Bear...", have been his bedtime favorites for months. Toddlers and parents alike will enjoy the repetitive and rhythmic nature of the verse (my son heaves a very dramatic sigh every time I read "...but nothing happened, not a sound." The simplicity of the tale lends itself nicely to parental embellishment, which is great for those who like to add a bit of their own drama to a story. I love the fact that I can tailor my reading of it to suit the hour or my son's mood, making it shorter or longer, exciting or soothing. Eric Carle's illustrations alone make this book a worthy addition to any child's library.
I agree with the reviewer who complained that this is not "first reader" material, but I would add that "The Very Quiet Cricket" is more about the joy of reading than about teaching the mechanics of sounding out simple words.

A love story for babies all the way up to adults, this sweet coming-of-age cricket story is a must for every home. The text is wonderful--makes you whisper along--and leads up to a simple sound effect at the end which is simply stunning. Probably our most treasured board book. Buy this, one of Carle's best, along with The Grouchy Ladybug and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

I care for 4 toddlers everyday and this is their favorite book. They usually ask me to read this book about 5 -6 times a day for them. They have lot's of choices but this one is a winner with them. They squeal with delight when you turn the last page & the cricket "chirps".

Eric Carle, as always, has created another excellent piece of book/art with a twist at the end that surprised my 2 1/2 year old grandson and me! He squealed in delight and wanted to have the book read to him over and over again. When I tired of reading it (fearing I would end up being a Very Quiet Grandmother), he sat on the floor and went over each page as though reading it himself and with delight, squealed each time he turned the last page with as much joy as the first time I read it to him! I would strongly suggest this book as an addition to any child's library.

My three year old loves this book. We love Carle's works overall anyway. I bought this one on clearance at a store because it didn't chirp anymore. I got a really great deal on it. Then my little one enjoyed the story so much that it became an integral part of her bed time routine. So we picked up a copy of the board book too. Now she reads the board book while I read the big one. She can recite the whole thing with me for the most part. And her's chirps at the end. She is so cute reading her own copy and the repetition is great!

My mother gave our daughter this book was she was about 4 months old. At first she showed no interest. I am a huge fan of Eric Carle's books and was so disappointed. Yet, I continued to periodically read this book to her. It wasn't until I added the hand motion of rubbing my hands together when it said "the little cricket rubbed his wings together. . ." that my daughter (now 9 months) took notice of the book. Soon she was mimicking and rubbing her hands together. Of course, she loves turning to the last page and hearing the sound of the cricket. Now this book is one of her favorites.

Living out in the country, all of the insects presented in this book were part of our life. Our 3 year old loves to help us out by saying, "Nothing happened not a sound...." (a repetitive line in the book) establishing great prereading skills. Super for preschoolers and toddlers but you won't make it too much past Kinder.

I bought the book for my son because his daycare teachers read it to him. He absolutely loves the book and the cricket sounds it makes. He even reads along with me and he is only 2 years old! I recommend this book to parents.

My 8 1/2 month old is fascinated by the wonderful artwork and the chirping sound. I expect he'll enjoy the story when he can understand the words. However, there's an inconsistency in the text that drives me crazy. The three crickets are referred to as "he" and "she," but the praying mantis and worm are referred to as "it." Argh!

We checked this book out of the library a few months ago. My 2 year old daughter just loved it. After we returned the book she continued to ask me to read her the "grasshopper" book each night. So I decided to get her a copy. Unfortunately I have not been able to find one that works. I tried changing the batteries and it still doesn't work. Has anyone else had this problem? I have been to various stores to see if they sell copies that work but I have not found one yet. My daughter still loves the book but I wish I could get the cricket to chirp again.

I am the collector of over 25 Eric Carle books. My 1 1/2 year old and myself enjoy this one the most. The pictures are captivating, the story is delightful and the chirping at the end is music to the ears.

The Quite Cricket book is another favorite from Eric Carle. I have almost every book he has written. My favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar but this is a tie for second.. I loved how he illustrated all the other insects in the story especially the dragonfly. The large drawings would hold the attention of a young child. This isn't a book for a new reader some of the vocabulary is a little difficult. The only draw back to this book is when the battery that makes the cricket sound dies, it is rather expensive to replace.

I really like that it talks about the names of bugs and what the bugs do. It has the repetition (and choppiness) of a Carle book, which made it easy to let the kids chime in on "But nothing happened. Not a sound". The ending was dumb though, which is why I gave it 4-stars.

This is fantastic book for young children, it was a board book (others in paper too) There is a really good surprise at the end. Children will be delighted and surprised with the sound of the cricket at the end. Probably best for ages 2 and up.

It is such a cute and intelligent story. My son is mezmorized by the pictures. He smiles every time he just sees the cover page and he is only 7 months old!!! The cricket noises at the end of the book are adorable and he lights up each time he hears them chirp. Also the board book is sturdy and gives him something to chew on at times when those teeth are really bothering him.

As all Eric Carle books this one is an easy read. The kids love the cricket sound on the last page that ends the story. Any book that can keep a little one's attention is worth it to me. I would recommend this book.

A darling childrens book about finding your own voice! The poor little cricket so badly wants to sing, but only when he's ready, and with a little love and encouragement, finally sings his song. A lovely book not only for young ones, but also a nice "reminder" lesson for adults.