We all crept through the branches of the linden as quietly as we could. Karl had brought his flashlight, and he flashed it on Olaf's bed. There he lay, fast asleep, with the black thread trailing out of his mouth. Oh, I got scared! What if it should hurt alot, and Olaf started to cry! What would he say when he saw all of us standing there? Karl took a firm grip on the thread and whispered, 'One, two, three, pull!' Three Swedish farmhouses in a row make for one Noisy Village: noisy, because Lisa and her brothers Karl and Bill are at the center, with their neighbors Anna and Britta on one side, and Olaf and Kerstinon the other. Close in age as they are (except baby Kerstein, who holds her own), what else could you expect but unceasing merriment and motion? Lisa relates their fun with shrewd sense and a perfect ear for boys' and girls' banter. Of necessity she records some quiet moments in Noisy Village, like the time they crept into Olaf's room to help him out by pulling his tooth while he slept-to save him from a stomach-ache! A great read-aloud book for the family and a happy choice for younger readers. Ages 4 and up.
