"The sense of menace grows alarmingly when the terrifying Woodpecker Man attacks the house with Sylvie and her friend George inside. They figure out that he works for the Songman, whose plan is to capture and hold captive all the world's songs. The friends embark on a dangerous adventure to find Sylvie's father and save the world from the fate of silence. Binding has created rich and interesting characters in Sylvie's friend George, her dog, and the fox that bites Sylvie's hand, giving her the power to understand the language and thoughts of animals. Sylvie herself is a likable and spunky character.... Binding's rich language and multisensory descriptions of the world of animals are absorbing, and Sylvie's terror at discovering that she has enemies all around her will have readers on the edge of their seats."—School Library Journal