Why Are You So Quiet?
Annick Press, 2020
“Why are you so quiet?” Her teacher implores it, her classmates shout it, even her mom wonders it. Everyone, it seems, is concerned for Myra Louise. So, in search of an answer to the tiresome question nobody will stop asking, she invents a listening machine. If the raindrops, or the crickets, or the dryers at the laundromat can tell her why they’re so quiet, maybe Myra Louise can finally make everybody understand. But the more she listens, the less interested she becomes in finding any answer at all. Because Myra Louise comes to realize that all she really needs is someone else to listen alongside her.
With gorgeous illustrations from Risa Hugo, Jaclyn Desforges’s first picture book champions introversion and the value of being a listener, a thinker, and an observer in our increasingly loud world.
Author Vikki Vansickle shares ten books that promote social, emotional learning for children of all ages.
Listen to the Pete Moss song inspired by the book!
Get your copy!
Why Are You So Quiet? is available at your local bookstore, library, or wherever books are sold.
Accolades
JOINT WINNER, TD SUMMER READING CLUB 2023
SHORTLISTED, CHOCOLATE LILY AWARD, BC YOUNG READERS’ CHOICE AWARD
Buzz & Kind Words
“The illustrations are charming and beautifully done. The book is a tender challenge for children (and adults also) to be silent observant listeners too. Take heed . . . the world has lots to teach us in its silence! I highly recommend this book. Well done!”
- Storywraps, 06/16/20
“Teaches kids to slow down, to appreciate something more than technology. ”
- My Book Abyss, 01/13/21
“Celebrates diversity by championing Myra Louise’s quiet, contemplative way of being . . . Should be read aloud in every Kindergarten classroom across the country, but it also deserves a place in libraries and homes. ”
- CM Reviews, *starred review, 06/26/20
“This book could really open up a discussion about how children are all different and how it is important to embrace those differences. ”
- Youth Services Book Review, 10/28/20
“A delightful read. ”
- BuzzBees Book Reviews, 07/21/20
“This endearing must-read of a quiet heroine is sure to become a classic go-to tale in a frenetic world. ”
- Canadian Children’s Book News, *starred review, Fall/2020
“Authentic and inspiring. ”
- Sal’s Fiction Addiction, 02/04/21
“A great story for children who both love to talk and love to listen. ”
- Hidden Worlds Books, 08/25/20