Connie Arnold is a poet and children's author who lives with her husband in North Carolina. They have two children and three grandchildren, who have inspired her interest in writing for children. Animal Sound Mix-up is her first children's book, with an additional book under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing for release in 2012 and one with 4RV Publishing scheduled for 2013 publication.

Connie is also the author of four poetry collections, Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace, Abiding Hope and Love, Abundant Comfort and Grace, and, new for 2012 from RPJ & Company, A Symphony of Seasons.

Reviewed by Lori M for Readers' Favorite

Okay, I’ll admit it – I am a sucker for kids’ books that feature animals. That is why I chose to read “Animal Sound Mix-up” by Connie Arnold. It tickled me that the illustrator’s name was Kit Grady because I have a kitty named Grady, but then again, I am silly that way.

The cover was adorable with illustrations of a dog, a cat, a bunny, a bird, and a . . . I’m not sure what, but they all had their mouths open as if speaking to the reader. The author asks us to imagine what a world would be like if animals made completely different sounds than expected. For example, what if a lion said “meow” and a donkey said “bow-wow?” Wouldn’t that seem quite funny if they became mixed up somehow? I particularly liked the mix-up between the giant elephant and the tiny little mouse because it represents such a dichotomy and asked, if the mouse began to roar, would it be stronger than before or if the elephant gave a squeak, might it seem to be quite weak? These are great questions to challenge a young mind about how we perceive things and what they’d appear to be if different. I laughed out loud at the thought of monkeys mooing! The book is wonderfully illustrated with adorable creatures like giraffes, pigs, deer, frogs, and more. In the end, the book explains that God made each animal to sound a special way and that is why cats meow, dogs go bow-wow, and that the animal sounds won’t get mixed up.