Thunder-Boomer!

by Shutta Crum, Carol Thompson (Illustrator)

Overview

A summer storm brings relief from the heat—and a surprise—to a farm family.

It's a hot day on the farm, and a little girl, her brother, and their mother are trying to cool off by the pond. Suddenly, dark clouds roll in. A thunder-boomer is on the way!

The storm brings pounding rain and hail—and an unexpected visitor: a soggy wet stray kitten. Colorful descriptions of the storm are accompanied by lots of playful sound effects, making this free-verse poem perfect for reading aloud. Charming watercolor illustrations capture all the drama, humor, and tenderness of the text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618618651
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/15/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Shutta Crum, formerly a librarian, currently writes full time. Among other picture books, she is the author Thunder-Boomer (Clarion), which received four starred reviews, was nominated for a Cybil Award, and was an SLJ Best Book, a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book, and an ALA Notable Book. Shutta was born in Paintsville, Kentucky, and lives with her husband in Michigan. Her website is www.shutta.com.

Carol Thompson is the author and illustrator of over 50 books, including Thunder-Boomer!, which was written by Shutta Crum and was an ALA Notable Book. She lives in England.
 

Editorial Reviews

A satisfying picture book that captures all the drama and power of a summer storm even as it rewards readers with a smaller-scale, homey story.”—Horn Book, STARRED review

“The free-verse storytelling is light, airy, and perfectly matched to the drawings. . . . The ending fully satisfies.”—School Library Journal, STARRED review

“Vivid imagery and Thompson’s innovative mixed-media art that incorporates textual sound effects naturally reflect the weather’s dramatic ebb and flow.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

“This fine-tuned, occasionally funny picture book re-creates the satisfying drama of a summer storm.”—Booklist
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From the Publisher

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

School Library Journal

A little girl's lazy summer day quickly turns soggy when a violent thunderstorm drenches their family farm. Scurrying to shelter, they tear laundry from the clothesline and coop their fussing chickens along the way. With unrelenting ferocity, rain pours in and hail pounds down as her father frets over the likely damage. After the thunder-boomer subsides, the daughter receives an unlikely surprise when her favorite hen leads her to an orphaned kitten. Vivid imagery and Thompson's innovative mixed-media art that incorporates textual sound effects naturally reflect the weather's dramatic ebb and flow. The child's engaging first-person voice propels the account of the storm. "Gusting rain pelts the roof. The maple's branches brush and wump against the walls." The sky's rumble is reflected in dynamic phrases lettered against the dark storm clouds. Watercolor, gouache, pastels and crayons smoothly combine to depict the outburst's unyielding power; colored splashes speckle the muddy mess. Powerful lines and thick, swaying strokes vary shading with dramatic emphasis. Intermittent collage patches subtly enhance the textured scenes, providing a wildly successful sanctuary from this soaking storm. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews