English Cymraeg

What’s That Noise?

by Charlie Higson, illustrated by Nadia Shireen

Interest age: 3 to 7
Reading age: 7+

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2025

  • Funny
  • Picture books

About this book

“One day Bob found a box big enough to be a house and hide in. He made a hole in the box to see out of – and he was ready.” 

Young Bob has plenty of noisy fun in his box: stamping like a T-Rex, brumming his car, and eating crunchy cereal that goes 'pop'. And every time a passer-by stops and thinks they’ve heard something… Bob goes completely silent until they move on. 

As the book continues, Bob gets more and more outrageously fun and LOUD things into his box – a jelly, a ghost, and a yodelling monkey to name but a few! 

This wonderfully silly picture book celebrates the joys of imagination, language and noise. It is fantastic to read aloud with its rhythmic text and building absurdity, and children will want to have it read to them over and over again (especially the bit with the yodelling monkey!)  

The illustrations also capture the simple yet limitless fun that can be had with a cardboard box and a lively imagination. Nadia Shireen’s artwork is pleasingly bold and uncluttered on the page but manages to convey a huge amount of personality and humour.  

A lovely book to read with children to have fun with language and to inspire imaginative play. 

About the author

Charlie Higson is the author of the phenomenally successful Young Bond and The Enemy series. Charlie is a man of many talents. He is a successful actor, comedian and writer for television and radio, but has been writing books for children since 2005.

After studying at the University of East Anglia, Charlie formed a band, The Higsons. He then became a decorator before turning to the world of television and going into partnership with his friend Paul Whitehouse. His successes include Saturday Live, the Harry Enfield Television Programme, The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Shooting Stars, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased, the film Suite 16, Swiss Toni and of course, the Fast Show. He lives in London with his wife and three sons.

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