Our Joyful Noise

by Gabriele Davis, Craig Stanley (Illustrator)

Overview

A joyful, jazzy picture book following a Black family through a week of shared moments and simple pleasures, woven through with hidden musical jewels from spirituals and songs.

We move to the sounds
that FLOW through our days.
Soft sounds, low sounds, LOUD sounds,
slow sounds.
Joyful, NOISEFUL, soulful sounds.
OUR sounds.

For this loving family, each moment of the day is filled with music, from the moment they wake to the sound of Mama humming them into a happy day as she plop plop plops berries into oatmeal, to bedtime when Daddy soothes them to sleep, strong hands smoothing brows, warm and slow, sweet chariots swinging low.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665920926
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Gabriele Davis welcomes the sounds, songs, and rhythms that flow through her days in the northwest corner of Connecticut, where she writes, bikes, and reflects on the childhood memories that fire her imagination. The memory of her dad singing spirituals to Gabriele and her brothers at bedtime gave rise to her picture book Our Joyful Noise. Gabriele enjoys creating works that delight, inspire, empower, and reflect all children. Visit her at GabrieleDavis.com.

Craig Stanley was raised in Kansas City where his love of art was nurtured. He studied graphic design and illustration at The Creative Circus school in Atlanta. Now with more than two decades of experience creating art in the entertainment industry, Craig is known for his work with Tyler Perry Studios, Oprah Winfrey Network, Disney, Netflix, Sony, and many more. Craig lives in Atlanta with his lovely wife Coleen. You can see more of his work at CStanleyArt.com and Instagram @CStanleyArt.

Editorial Reviews

2024-07-04
Beloved Black spirituals and other songs have inspired this picture book centered on cherishing the soulful, jazzy sounds of everyday family life.

“We move to the sounds / that FLOW through our days.” Laced with onomatopoeia, the story follows a multigenerational suburban Black family over the course of a week, from home to school to the park, and more. The children awaken to Mama humming “as she / PLOP, PLOP, PLOPS / fresh-picked berries into the pot,” while their feet make a “PUMPA, PUMPA, PUMPA” sound as they race to the school bus. Stanley’s realistic digitally rendered illustrations depict warm, immersive scenes of a soul food family dinner, Sunday church service, and a father soothing his children into a good night’s rest. Davis concludes with an annotated bibliography of sorts, spotlighting some of the songs that are sampled throughout: “Oh Happy Day,” “My Favorite Things,” “Wade in the Water,” and the relatively more recent “Joy in My Soul.” Driven by the harmonious and graceful notes of Black social life, the narrative focuses on moments of shared joys certain to help this family through even the most challenging times.

Music has a message, and in this charming tale, the message is love.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews