Noisy Nora

Noisy Nora is a children's book written by Rosemary Wells. This mouse later appeared in the Timothy Goes to School series.

Background and publication

The original illustrations were re-done by the author, stating "The original illustrations I did were not as good as the story, and I have improved as an artist very much over the years. I felt I could do a better job, so I did it all over again."

Inspiration for the character

Wells has said that she was an only child, as opposed to Nora who was the middle child of a big family. She has even gone so far as to say that she doesn't put real experiences into her books. "I am convinced that books are written in heaven long before the authors are born, and we are simply given them to write down". ^[1]

Summary

An attention-starved Nora makes noise, which only irritates her family. Nora declares she'll run away. The house is too quiet that the family worries they've lost Nora, till they find her hiding in the broom cupboard.

Literary significance and criticism

Awards

The book won the CINE Golden Eagle, the Silver Apple of the National Educational Media Network, the ALA Notable Film, and the Third Prize from the ASIFA East. ^[2]

Adaptions

In 1998 Weston Woods developed an animated story based on the book's illustrations, which was narrated by Mary Beth Hert. In 2002 it was produced by Newvideo and Scholastic and bundled with 4 other animated stories on a "Scholastic Storybook Treasures" DVD. ^[3]

References