Martin, Bill, Jr. & Michael Sampson. Listen to Our World. illus. by Melissa Sweet. 40p. S. & S./Paula Wiseman Bks. Mar. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781442454736.

PreS-Gr 1 –On the title page of this simple and thoroughly inviting picture book, the universe appears vast and quiet, but zoom down to Earth and there are a great many habitats and inhabitants that make up our world. “Listen! Listen! Listen!” mommies say to their little ones, as each page turn reveals a colorful spread depicting a specific ecosystem, related animal family, and appropriate animal sound. “Around a giant kapok tree, bright parrots flit and fly. The rain forest is their world. Squawk! Squawk! Squawk!” At first glance, Martin and Sampson’s repetitive phrasing results in a text that seems almost mundane, lacking the bounce that makes Martin’s Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? such a pleasure to read aloud. Yet this book is so visually rich that children will quickly be searching the pages for words to shout. Some sounds are familiar (“Hiss!” “Roar!”), while others offer readers something new (“Weee-aaa!”), but all are engaging and fun to repeat. Once again, Sweet has masterfully combined watercolor, handmade papers, pencil, and paint to create horizontally and vertically oriented pages that are a feast of color, shape, expression, movement, and, of course, sound. Further facts about the 11 habitats and animals are provided at the end. VERDICT A delightful introduction to the variety of environments that make up the world we live in. Highly recommended.–Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library