The Quiet Book padded board book

The Quiet Book is a precious collection of *different kinds of quiet* such as coloring-in-the-lines-quiet and trying-not-to-hiccup-quiet. The illustrations are a soft palate of earthy pastels and the child-animals are absolutely adorable. There are a couple of reasons why I truly love this book and would highly recommend. 1) It's an entertaining way to help children notice when quiet arises naturally. 2) This book encourages children to discover the emotions behind different kinds of quiet - be it contentment or nervousness, excitement or silent awe. It also makes a perfect gift for the friend in your life (no matter how old) who might need a meditation on quiet and where it can be found. In a world of ever-increasing noise and stimulus, this book is a very special one.

This is one of my favorite picture books from 2010 and has become my new favorite gift to give for baby showers and little one's birthdays.

The book encompasses the theme of quiet not only in the text, but also the design. It's a smaller than normal size picture book, with adorable little critters depicted in subdued colors, and a gentle narration of the types of quiet throughout. There is also a lot of humor to be found in the illustrations and readers who spend extra time poring over the illustrations will have fun picking up new details.

A couple people have described this book as a "lesson" book, and I think they're missing the point. This is a story that encourages observation and thoughtfulness from children. It's not an instructional book on being quiet. It can be enjoyed simply for the gentle story that it is, but it also can spur additional contemplation and discussion. (Is licking a lollipop a quiet activity for you? What are some things you do during the day that involve quiet? Do you feel different emotions during different quiet activities--maybe "concentrating" while quietly coloring a picture, "anticipation" while waiting for a concert to start.)

I couldn't recommend this book more highly.

The little brown bunny stretched, touched his toes and was quiet because no one else was awake. It was a time for silence because "there are many kinds of quiet." Sometimes it is time for youngsters to be noisy, but other times . . . ssshhhh. The little brown bunny touched his hand lightly to his forehead as bear's jelly sandwich hit the floor, "jelly side down." Ssshhh! It's nice for two friends to sit quietly and listen to a robin sing his song. Whispering secrets, coloring quietly (in the lines of course), thinking up a good reason to tell Mommy why you have been naughty, and playing hide-and-seek are times to be quiet. Ssshhh!

When the little moose was sitting on a bench holding his lunch box waiting for a ride home, he was very quiet. Swimming under the water is a special bubbly kind of quiet, but when the nurse is going to give you a shot it's definitely "pretending you're invisible quiet." Quiet times are when you suck on a lollipop when you're feeling under the weather, the shock of seeing your haircut in the mirror, keeping quiet when your little sister is sleeping, or trying not to make a peep when your yell "SURPRISE" at a birthday party. There are all kinds of special quiet times. Can you think of one?

This utterly charming book is one of those perfect bedtime books that will be cherished for years to come. It seemed like every little ssshhh moment was exquisitely and gently captured in both the text and the artwork. The artwork meshed perfectly with the "quiet" theme and the cast of adorable animals were captivating. My favorite scene was the little brown bunny and the iguana nestled together in bed in a darkened room . . . "What flashlight?" This is the type of book that childhood memories are made of. This lovely book is one that will definitely make its way into many hearts . . . and onto many wish lists!

This is a wondrous book about all the different kinds of quiet there are for kids. Happy quiets and worried quiets, scared quiets and "was I being naughty?" quiets.

I have to declare an interest, since I am Deborah Underwood's brother in law. Which means I have had the privilege of knowing the book for many years in draft form (you have NO idea how long it takes for children's picture books to come out.)

The book has always been brilliant but I didn't imagine how great the pictures would be to go with it.

In short I think this is a great book and I don't think you or your children will be disappointed.

All the different types of "quiet" are beautifully illustrated, however for a 1 or 2-year-old it would be beyond comprehension as many of the situations are experienced (surprise party, reading with a flashlight), and also the illustrations are in the pale pastel colors, not providing enough bright colored stimulation for an infant.

Although my child is not old enough to enjoy this book, I will be saving it for him when he gets a little older. The moments and illustrations are just perfect for anyone who appreciates a little quiet time in their lives.

I love the quiet before dawn at my little farm in Sebastopol. Awake as the sky lightens just barely enough to distinguish the mountains and trees as silhouettes against the dark blue heavens, I find my mind and spirit roaming free, adrift in peacefulness, alive with joyfulness, and immersed in possibility.

I've known a million flavors of quiet. There is the sweet quiet of gazing into the eyes of a beloved old friend I haven't seen in years. The horrible quiet of standing alone in the road, having just learned from the morning paper that John Lennon has been murdered. The warm, blissful quiet of swimming underwater in the Eel River. The mischievous, grinning quiet of hiding in my sister's closet as a child, waiting to pull a prank on her. The world-standing-still quiet of pausing amidst the redwoods as I walk alone through Armstrong Woods on a thick foggy morning.

"Last one to get picked up from school quiet."

"First look at your new hairstyle quiet."

While I agree with those who figure preschoolers to get a kick out of the situations encountered in THE QUIET BOOK by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska, I believe that this outstanding picturebook is going to be absolutely revered and longer remembered by any number of six-, and seven-, and eight-, and nine-year-olds who will have had far more experience with the flavors of quiet that are so perfectly depicted here through text and illustration.

"Making a wish quiet."

"Top of the roller coaster quiet."

"First snowfall quiet."

Through an evocative, spare text and warm, expressive animal characters created through digitally-colored pencil drawings, Underwood and Liwska create a series of scenes, any one of which can send my mind off on a journey.

Quietly go find yourself a copy of this book.

We got this as a gift for our now-three year-old. From the first time we read it, she loved it, and I love it too. The book does a fine job of showing a range of situations where a child is quiet--some good, some not so good.

On first read, it just looks like a bunch of random kinds of quiet with cute illustrations of animals, but after a few reads (hey, I'm a little dense, what can I say) I noticed that the kinds of quiet actually tell little stories; for example, we follow a little hedgehog as he gets a pretty bad haircut, comes home sad but doesn't wake his sister, then is the guest at a surprise birthday party. I've just got to say that the "Making a wish quiet" illustration is my favorite in the book and just beautiful; eyes closed, hands held up, legs crossed, we can really feel that little fellow's excitement. "Car ride at night quiet" is another favorite.

It's become one of my favorite books to read at bedtime, and even after many readings, I'm still picking out little nuances in the illustrations. It's a great book.

This is a wonderful family book, not just for settling down before bed, but also for talking about feelings in certain situations of embarrassment, apprehension, absorption, etc. which could cause one to be quiet. The littlest board book reader will enjoy the charming illustrations and the simplest concepts, like "Swimming underwater quiet," while older siblings may begin to understand "Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall quiet," silence due remorse for disobedient behavior. The adult reader may have to describe and discuss what is happening in the pictures for some pages or some ages, but that will keep repeated readings of this book engaging and different each time.

"The Quiet Book," by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska. (Houghton Mifflin). This book says a lot in a few quiet words. There are many kinds of quiet, and parents and kids alike will recognize most of them. Some kinds of quiet are glad quiets, such as, "Don't scare the robin quiet," and "First snowfall quiet." Others, not so much! "Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall quiet," and "Do iguanas bite? quiet." But perhaps the best kinds of quiet are the getting ready for bed kinds: tucking in Teddy, bedtime kiss, and finally, "Sound asleep quiet." The adorable animal drawings are executed in muted tones, making them a perfect fit with this quiet book.

Connie Goldsmith, children's book reviewer for California Kids, a Sacramento regional parenting publication.

The first time I read this book, a while OK, I thought it was fine. But when I recently re-read it, much more slowly, I loved it. Each situation really is a different kind of quiet, and they illustrate all kinds of moods--excited, breathless, worried, sad, anticipating. Reading through it and putting myself IN each situation, it was interesting to see what my breath did and how I felt. She actually captures the experience of being quiet. And the art is lovely, too:>)

Such a sweet book to read for bedtime or nap time. We received it as a gift for our baby and I read it to her nightly. I love all the types of quiet that we read about. I do think our book had a misprint or typo on one of the pages but it is still readable.

I know the word "boring" is subjective, but heck, when your child loves every book you read to him and will read it multiple times, EXCEPT this one, you think "I guess it's not just me." Regardless of the fact that I thought it was boring, I would have kept reading it to him for the calming effect I hoped it would have before bedtime, but no such luck. He refuses to let me read it to him (and we have other books that do a better job of calming him, like "All the World," which we both love).

The illustrations really are cute. The narrative is just TOO simple and repetitive (and I'm generally a fan of simple). And long. It feels never-ending...Long is not a bad thing when the book holds your interest, but when it doesn't...well, it's no wonder my two year old can't be bothered with it!

There are all types of quiet--happy quiet, sad quiet, fun quiet and uh-oh quiet. Deborah Underwood captures them with her sweet text and Renata Liwska brings them to life with soft (quiet) illustrations. This book doesn't yell and roar. It grabs you instead with its softness, making you think and smile. A very good thing to do with a little one you love. This is a book I love to read again and again. So will you.

As you go about your day, there are times when all the hustle and bustle around you seems to fade away. There are quiet moments when you can take in the world around you, enjoy the peace, or contemplate what is coming.
This very special picture book looks at all the different kinds of quiet that a collection of animal children experience during a normal day. The little rabbit begins its day with the quiet that you experience when you are the "first one awake." In school, a little bear enjoys that "coloring in the lines quiet" that children enjoy. The little moose experiences an altogether different sort of quiet when someone discovers the drawing on the wall that he created. The little mouse shares a moment of quiet with the rabbit when they suck on lollipops. Later the rabbit takes a quiet moment while he contemplates whether or not Aunt Tillie's iguana is the kind of animal who might bite.
With beautifully atmospheric pictures throughout, this book perfectly captures those moments when there is a pause in the day, and when little people (and big people) are able to experience a little scrap of quietness.

This book got great reviews... and I don't get it. Perhaps we just really missed out on the tactile beauty of illustrations and story by getting the Kindle edition? It was short. The Kindle version was not well executed; it had the illustrations and words scanned in, with the e-text redundantly below the scanned in text. That was awkward (and ugly). The book just ended with 3 solid orange pages. I'm not sure that was even the whole book, or some electronic conversion error. I would not recommend the Kindle edition.

Reading through all the different kinds of quiets there are, I found myself thinking, "Yeah, that's a good one." After finishing the book, the first thing we did was go back and look at the lovely illustrations because they really do lend clarity to what the author is trying to communicate. Then, my daughter and I treid to come up with our own kinds of quiet. The book gets an extra star just for pushing us to be creative in a way that we hadn't thought of before.

I read this to my kindergarten class when we were having issues with making noises and talking while the teacher was talking. After a classroom meeting this was the perfect wrap up. The children were silently captivated by this book and its beautiful illustrations. The kids still bring up types of quiet as defined in this book. Perfect if you have a younger child that needs to grasp the concept of when its appropriate to be quiet. So adorable.

Each page describes a different kind of quiet. Reading the book with a child, spouse, friend, you can easily spend minutes discussing, dreaming, and embellishing on each of these kinds of quiet. What a wonderfully perfect book to make one-to-one connections, to share special times and feelings. Once done, then spending time discovering and sharing your own types of quiet. This book invokes such depth of thought, images, and dreams (even without seeing the wonderful illustrations). My wife and I have shared this book with many others, and coming up with new types of "quiet" has become a daily joy. WOW, all of this from a "simple kids book". Did I say WOW? I could imagine this book becoming the centerpiece of a University philosophy class---simple, but invoking such depth. WOW

I walked up to a display of a books in Barnes and Nobles. One book hollered and screamed at me like a child needing attention, The Quiet Book. What a great publication for our time. Children today are being cheated out of silence, a place where they can find peace. Yet, The Quiet Book allows the to steal few moments back. Moreover, it will remind adults of serenity, times of tranquility that they may have forgotten.

Every once in a while you find a picture book like "The Quiet Book" with perfect synergy between text and illustrations. Underwood captures magical moments and tender emotions ("Top of the roller coaster quiet"; "First look at the new haircut quiet") and Renata Liwska's soft and sweet (yet not cloying) art is a perfect match. Both adults and children can find new meaning in every reading. A sublime book.

This is a lovely book. The illustrations are great and the premise is absolutely wonderful (looking at the different types of quiet moments in life). My 2 year old boy is very fond of this book and my wife and I enjoy reading it to him because it is also engaging for adults. Great book!

A favorite for the threshold of sleep. Gentle, whimsical. Illustrations are amusing for a toddler, but not too complicated. A step beyond Goodnight Moon. A bit short though if you need to immerse in one last adventure before lights out. Get this along with Story About Ping and you'll be covered for most final bed-time moods.

I love children's stories that are short with their words but big in their meaning. The Quiet Book is a perfect blend of soft, effective imagery coupled with simple yet very familiar language that quickly draws in readers young and old. Its message is loud and clear and anyone who reads this story will easily relate to several of its passages. The animal characters are soft and wonderful and each one from the iguana to the bear that drops his jelly sandwich is sweet and lovable. Such a warm and comforting story - perfect for reading before bed or while you are curling up with your young ones on a rainy/snowy day. Lovely work.

This book is simple and beautiful. The sparse text allows for discussion with the child ("Pretending you're invisible quiet." [child is at the doctor's office getting ready for a shot]. I can also see this working well in the Kindergarten and first grade classrooms with children creating their own "quiets". It takes you from morning to night with creative, thought-provoking text and soft illustrations. In its simple text, it really explores deeper issues. There are "quiets" relating to anticipation, disappointment, concentration, playing, loneliness, peacefulness, comfort, hope, excitement, curiosity, and love. It will be a staple of my family's bedtime routine! Wonderful book!

Three days ago, a friend who stopped by for coffee accidentally dropped her buttered toast on the floor. "That's OK," I said. "It didn't land 'jam-side down,'" which is a quote from THE QUIET BOOK. Night before last I went to a symphony concert. As the conductor raised his baton, and the audience quieted in anticipation, I thought of this wonderful book again. Last night, I went to a political fundraiser. When the inspiring main speaker walked to the podium and raised her arms to quiet the applauding crowd, I thought of this marvelous book once more. The message of this book comes to me on a daily basis. It's a quiet, sustaining classic. Buy it. Love it.

Lovely, thoughtful book. If children truly learn to love reading on the laps of their parents, this is the perfect example of such a book. Every time we read it, we see something new in the illustrations that deepen the meaning of the text. Another kind of quiet? Just finished reading this amazing book quiet.

I bought this book, along with "The Loud Book" with my two year-old in mind. However, my grand daughter who is 5 also liked it. The illustratons are very cute and the prose is short enough per page that I can keep the younger grandchild's attention. I would recommend this book.

We have so much fun coming up with our own quiet moments inspired by this book. It's perfect for snuggling and reading at bedtime. But, it's more than a bedtime book. You'll see! The illustrations are so cute, we could eat them. We're a big fan of Underwood's books (she writes with Whoopi Goldberg, too!) but this one is becoming our favorite! Can see why it's been sitting on top of the NY Times Bestsellers.

This wonderful, lyrical book makes me wish that my teenagers still craved bedtime stories. Anyone with young children and an imagination will love the whimsy and simple truth of these reflections, perfectly matched by radiant artwork. This story makes me look forward to grandchildren - and in the meantime I will buy it for every young family with little ones. Just lovely.

And you will hear the sound of swimming underwater, and looking at your brand new haircut. Of trying to be invisible and playing with best friends. Surprising how many kinds of quiet there are when you think about it. Smart but simple. For very young readers.

This soothing, cheerful book reminds children (and adults!) about all the wondrous quiet moments we experience in our daily lives-- such as that moment when you sit still and make a birthday wish; or the moment when you gaze at the ocean, while standing on the beach next to your best friend. It's an endearing little portrait of life. It's (not surprisingly) a perfect book for naptime or bedtime as the story ends with an image of animal friends in peaceful sleep.

This is such a sweet book, each page unfolds
with a slight hint of what's to come next, very gentle,
very quiet but in gently humorous way, so beautifully
written and illustrated it's sure to become a classic!

My daughter and I read this book before naptime, a definite "quiet" time and it helps her unwind and get ready for sleep. The illustrations are so sweet and beautiful. I highly recommend this book to all the parents out there!

This wonderfully unobtrusive book has much to offer readers of all ages. At a time when so many books and television shows for children force social messages and lessons down little throats like candy-covered medicine, Underwood's simple text and Liwska's somber animals provide an oasis for kids and parents where all kinds of quiet are appreciated.

My son is eight, and a strong reader, but he finds this book, and its companion, The Loud Book, continually entertaining. He laughs and then makes up his own quiet scenarios. The book remains charming and engaging. The librarian at his school loves this book because there is something in it for all her students, from preschool to fifth grade.

My two daughters are rarely quiet . . . the one exception is our storytime each night. My 3 yr old regularly pulls this one out of the pile for me and my husband to read again (and again). The artwork is irresistible!

I can't say enough about how fantastically brilliant this book is. The concepts are a wonderful introduction to subtlety for the child and a delightful recall of life experiences for the adult. I'm a true fan of this unique book!

The book has very few words on each page (2 to be exact) which makes it for very little kids. I read it to my 2 and 4 year old and they were losing interest. They would get confused on what it meant and then lose interest. I do see the benefit in teaching kids to be quiet but at bedtime isn't the time to have a huge lesson for the kids in my opinion. I want to read a story to them to get them engaged and ready for bed.

There are many more books out there for bedtime stories for young kids but this really isn't it.