Quiet Is Strength

November 15, 2024
Ponder the importance of stillness. A diverse group of people pursue activities in a large, well-maintained park filled with flowers, trees, a lake, and a playground, all with lovely monarch butterflies flying throughout. Children examine the butterflies, whisper, make music, or draw in chalk on the sidewalk as Hess offers thoughtful musings on silence: "Quiet is stunning...The hush right when a song ends. The breath you take before the race begins. It is who you are, the way you are--with and without words spoken." As the day moves on to twilight and then night, fireflies appear and children hold hands, then wave to each other as they depart with the final pronouncement: "Quiet is powerful LIKE YOU." Though the sentiments are heartfelt, some of the figures in the lovely, soft illustrations are unnecessarily indistinct, and their actions can be difficult to make out at times. In one scene, readers are told that quiet is "as mighty as a wave before it hits the shore...confident in the space between the silence and the roar," but the accompanying image depicts a peaceful lake, with no waves in sight. Youngsters will need a loving grown-up to help them draw connections. Visually appealing but may leave readers a bit lost.(Picture book. 4-8)

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November 18, 2024
Adding to the shelf of books about ways of being in the world, Hess (Belong) reassures readers that there is value in hush and tranquility. “Quiet is strength,” often metaphorical lines begin. “It’s as strong as a monarch in migration.” Quiet is drawn as a distinct entity (“as important as a whisper and a promise,” as well as “confident in the space between silence and roar”), and examples describe the value that it can bring (“the kind smile and gentle hello. The walk together. The walk alone”). Across misty, sometimes static digital spreads with scanned textures, Phumiruk (Last Flight) represents groups portrayed with various abilities and skin tones moving through a spacious park, running and walking, and observing and playing. In one spread, children kneel on the pavement with chalk, at work on a piece of sidewalk art that resembles a colorful mosaic: “Quiet is the calm and energy you bring to us all.” Affirming comparisons continue (“A beam of light... a humble candle that illuminates the way”), reminding readers that quiet has a power and strength all its own. Ages 5–8. Agent (for author and illustrator): Deborah Warren, East West Literary.