Can Anybody Hear Me? by Jessica Meserve.

Big boisterous, busy and loud families are wonderful, unless you are the quiet one in the crowd.  Even when he talks directly with a family member, Jack isn’t heard.  He asks for one pancake and gets two, asks for a blue sweater and gets red, and no one hears him when he says he is heading off to climb the mountain.  When he gets to the silent, still top of the mountain, he shouts "Can anybody hear me?" at the top of his lungs.  That’s when his teddy bear speaks up and says that he has always heard Jack.  So Jack and his bear, Chester, spend the day playing on the mountain and while they play Jack finds his voice.  It is that voice that gets him rescued from the darkness at the top of the mountain when the day is done.

Meserve has created a charmer of a picture book here filled with mountain style and feel.  Small touches like everyone’s hats, the chicken clucking from under the highchair, and the wall of hay bales capture the rural, rustic setting.   I enjoyed the loving neglect that Jack received.  It set exactly the right tone and will feel true to those who feel neglected in their own families.  The text of the book begs to be read aloud.  It is filled with great noises that will have toddlers and preschoolers clucking, howling and yelling along. 

Recommended for storytimes and preschool classrooms.  This could be a nice introduction to listening, speaking and taking turns doing both.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.