 Thunder Boomer
by Sebastian Meschenmoser
School Library Journal K-Gr 2-A farm family is sweltering, hoping for "a thunder-boomer" to relieve the heat. Thompson's illustrations, done in pastels, ink, and watercolor, are full of motion and capture the sensations of the gathering clouds, the rain coming down, the intensity of the storm, and the feeling of cold wetness on the characters. The free-verse storytelling is light, airy, and perfectly matched to the drawings. Readers will enjoy the pictures of the family scurrying home as well as the one of Dad running outside to rescue a stray chicken from the downpour. The ending fully satisfies, as the children discover a wet kitten after the storm and appropriately name it Thunder-Boomer.-Adrienne Wilson, Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, Monroe, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Book list One hot day, a farmer plows while his wife, children, and dog sit beside the pond. When a thunderstorm threatens, they hurry home, gather the laundry in off the line, bring a pet chicken into the house, and settle in to watch the lightning flash and feel the thunder shake the house. Hail threatens the corn and the metal roofs, but soon the storm ends. Going out to assess the damage, they find a wet kitten shivering near the shed and decide to give him a home. The evocative text and expressive illustrations work well together here, creating a strong sense of the storm sweeping across the land and an even stronger sense of how this good-natured family handles challenges and surprises. Opening the story in eight wordless pictures before the text begins, Thompson uses watercolor, gouache, pastel, crayon, and collage to create scenes charged with energy and human interest. This fine-tuned, occasionally funny picture book re-creates the satisfying drama of a summer storm.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. |
