I love to read this book out loud at school visits and conferences. (And when I say out loud, I mean out LOUD.) I can always count on someone coming up to me after I’ve read it and saying, “Our family is the Loud Family!” I guess there are a lot of loud families out there, which is kind of scary when you think about it.

I got the idea for this book at Blockbusters. I was in the parking lot, about to return my movie, when suddenly I heard a HUGE commotion behind me. Honestly, I thought an entire busload of second graders had just pulled in, but it was only a family of four. They were LOUD as they picked out their movie. They were LOUD as they paid for it. And they were LOUD as they got back into their car. At one point I thought, “Oh my gosh, I am so glad I don’t live next to that loud family!”

As soon as I had that thought I knew I had a new picture book idea. It was great fun to write, even though I had to do about four million drafts. Of course I always have to do four million drafts. Nothing new there.

Regan Dunnick’s goofy drawings are fabu! I especially love little Baby Loud, who seems to have the biggest mouth of all.