Kids will have fun with this easy-to-read version of a classic Jewish tale. Here, the story has no particular time or place. Its hero is a young man who lives in a house he finds too noisy: the bed creaks, the roof leaks, and the chair squeaks. He goes to town and asks a wise man what to do and is told to bring in, first, a cow, then a sheep, later a donkey. The house gets very noisy indeed. It is only when the young man is told by the elder to get the animals out of the house that the noise returns to its former (and now acceptable level). Everything works well here. The vocabulary is just right, the chunky artwork accents the fun, and kids will enjoy getting the joke before the silly young man does. (Reviewed Aug. 1997)

In this traditional Jewish folktale, a man consults a wise man about his noisy house. Following the silly-sounding advice, the man finds his house gets a lot noisier before things finally quiet down. The bold, colorful artwork with thick black outlines is inviting but lacks variety. Ziefert's bare-bones text may disappoint those familiar with the story, but beginning readers should have no trouble with this simple retelling.