Common Sense Media Review
Storm brings lots of excitement -- and a very happy ending.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
It's a hot day on the farm, and Mother wonders if the heat will break soon. Sure enough, a thunderstorm is on its way, and there's lots to do before it arrives. Once the "thunder-boomer" hits, the family has to rush inside and watch the excitement safely behind the windows. A thunderstorm brings lots of action, and some fun surprises, too.
Is It Any Good?
This picture book is exciting without being too exciting, even for kids who are still scared of thunderstorms. The family works well together, and there are a few funny events to keep the burgeoning storm from getting too frightening. Lots of sound effects make this a fun book to read out loud, too.
The illustrations do a good job of capturing the darkening sky and swirling winds, as well as the rain and hail. The line drawings help kids sense the movement of the running kids and flying underwear. The soft watercolors make for impressively murky clouds and a soothing post-storm sunset.
Line drawings washed with watercolors accurately portray the chaotic events before and during the storm as well as the rosy peace afterward.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about storms they've gone through. Or if they don't live in an area where thunderstorms are common, they can talk about their own exciting or interesting weather.
Kids can act out the family's scurrying while parents read out loud. Quick! To the wash line to yank down the laundry!
Bigger kids might want to go to the library and read up on thunderstorms. Why do they happen, and how?
What are the safety rules in a lightening storm?
Kids can make a poster illustrating their favorite part of the book. Is it when Thunder-Boomer joins the family? Or when Dad's favorite underwear goes flying?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Carol Thompson
- Genre : Picture Book
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Clarion Books
- Publication date : June 15, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate