Module 6 - Thunder-Boomer!

Crum, S. (2009). Thunder-boomer!. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.


Summary
One hot summer day a mother, a brother and a little sister are on their farm while the father is working in the fields.  Because of the heat Mom wishes for a thunder-boomer day when a light breeze begins to blow.  As the clouds roll in and the air turns chilly, mom rushes the family back inside the house.  Dark clouds follow as the family prepares for a big storm - closing the barn doors, securing the animals, gathering the clothes from the line.  As the rain begins and the the hail begins Dad has to go out to catch a nervous chicken caught in the storm.  As the storm recedes the family ventures out to see what damage the storm might have caused and find a new friend - a wet and soggy kitten huddled under the protective chicken. 


My Impression
This is a captivating picture book with beautiful water-color illustrations.  The paintings on each page bring to life the excitement and drama of the author's words.  Within the illustrations the sounds of the events are drawn in whimsical ways.


Book Review
Wilson, A. (2009, June). [Review of Thunder-Boomer!]. School Library Journal, 55(6), 80.


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.


Suggestion for Library Use
This book would be a great read-aloud in the library to support a classroom study of weather.  Although written for younger grades, because of the water-color illustrations older elementary students would enjoy this book as well.