Illustrated by Pierre Pratt
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
This book is dedicated – to my husband Fred, my stepfather Chuck, and my brother Roger. Do they look like snorers? I’ll never tell!
The Story Behind The Story
Where did the idea for Roar of a Snore come from? From a loud snore in the middle of the night! I wondered what would happen if someone was awakened by a snore, but didn’t know where the snore was coming from. That someone would have to search and search and search for the…ROAR OF A SNORE!
It’s true, I fear, that my husband Fred snores! So do my brother and stepfather! I dedicated this book to all three. If I tell the truth, sometimes I snore a little too. The book flap of Roar of a Snore says everyone snores. I think that’s probably true. Some of us have tiny snores, some of us snore when we’re super tired, but we all snore…just a little.
What fun I had writing this rhyming story! But at times I wanted to pull my hair out as I tried to put everything into rhymes. (Hey! Times and rhymes. That was a rhyme. Once you start to rhyme, you just can’t stop.)
Roar of a Snore fans may be surprised to learn that in the original story version, the surprise snorer was not a kitten. It was a mouse. My editor, Karen Riskin, thought there might be too many mouse stories and that a mouse would be easily guessed. We decided a kitten would be the perfect surprise snorer. I’m happy we chose a kitten because it reminds me of when I was a kid and found baby kittens in our hayloft. I don’t think any of them snored, though.
What animal would you choose if you were writing this story?
Here I am with Arnold (Yes! Same name as mine.) Arnold belongs to my friends, Larry and Madeleine. He reminds me of “Old Blue.”
Awards and Honors
- Northern California Book Award nominee – Children’s Literature
- Starred review – School Library Journal
- Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2008 – Bank Street College of Education
- The Dollywood Foundation Imagination Library selection for 2010, 2011 and 2012
Reviews
School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Pratt’s acrylic illustrations help to create a pace that perfectly complements the rhyming, cumulative text. The details of the pictures, done in vivid, warm colors, add motion and energy to the story. A must-have for all libraries.”
Kirkus
“Rhythm, rhyme, repetition and a charming surprise ending (with an amusing coda) make this a likely winner with the preschool set. From sleepless Jack, who first hears the enormous snore, to Mama Gwyn, Baby Sue, Papa Ben, twins Josie Jo and Jennie Lynn, and ending with a barn full of animals, all are intent on searching for the source of the snore. The unlikely culprit? A tiny lost kitten, asleep in the hayloft. The repeated cumulative refrain will encourage audience participation, whether listeners are in a group at storytime or enjoying a private nighttime read-aloud. Listeners will also enjoy speculating on just what neighbor Molly Olsen does when she hears the snore. Simple and satisfying.”