A Time For Everything! Sullivan, Who Is Always TOO LOUD! by Micol Ostow

HELLO! THIS IS SULLIVAN, WHO IS ALWAYS TOO LOUD!

He has only one level of volume--BLARING.

Sullivan wakes up his sleeping baby sister Ella-Baby, who cries, adding to the volume, which makes MR. Jenkins downstairs bang on his ceiling with his cane, which only makes MORE NOISE. His mom tries taping pillows over his mouth, and Sullivan tries to keep quiet, but his loudness just bubbles up until it cannot be contained. Naturally, his loudness gets him in trouble in school with his teacher, Mrs. Chow, and even with his percussion teacher, Ms. Gonzalez, who doesn't NEED that many cymbal crashes! Sullivan spends a lot of time in the PEACE CORNER.

"I HAVE LOUDNESS IN MY BODY, BUBBLING UP. IT HAS TO COME OUT!" SULLIVAN SAYS.

"IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME OUT IN THE GROCERY STORE!" MOM SAYS.

Exuberance can be a good thing, but Mom's nerves have had it! She suggests counting to three before he produces a sound. Sullivan barely makes it to 3 before he breaks out a YELL.

"IT'S A START!" SAYS MOM.

But with practice, Sullivan begins to stifle his outbursts and control his volume better and better. Days pass without any timeouts in the Peace Corner. But then one day, after outdoor play period, when Ms. Chow calls the class to line up, Annalise doesn't come. Mrs. Chow uses her biggest "outside teacher voice," but Annalise is in the far corner of the playground and oblivious.

Suddenly Sullivan feel his LOUDNESS bubbling up--into his special, extra wild, TARZAN YELL!

"ANNA-LISE!!!!!"

There's a time and a place for everything, even LOUDNESS, in Micol Ostow's brand-new Sullivan, Who Is Always Too Loud (Roaring Brook, 2020). The silly and comical illustrations of Brian Biggs make this lesson on self-control fun for youngsters who have their own excesses to contend with! Artist Brian Biggs, who claims modestly that he's illustrated a bazillion books, puts this one over the top!