Dinosaur Thunder

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Overview

An imaginative story of a little boy who conquers his fear of thunder!

When lightning flares in the faraway sky, and clouds growl like lions waking, big brother Chad is thrilled by the coming storm. But not little Brannon. He looks for a place to hide. Each adult tries to calm Brannon in turn, by comparing the thunder to something that's not scary.

"It's only a big cat purring," Daddy says. But Brannon has once been frightened by a cat--and again, he runs to take cover. It's not...

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More About This Book

Overview

An imaginative story of a little boy who conquers his fear of thunder!

When lightning flares in the faraway sky, and clouds growl like lions waking, big brother Chad is thrilled by the coming storm. But not little Brannon. He looks for a place to hide. Each adult tries to calm Brannon in turn, by comparing the thunder to something that's not scary.

"It's only a big cat purring," Daddy says. But Brannon has once been frightened by a cat--and again, he runs to take cover. It's not until the thunder is compared to dinosaurs that Brannon loses his fear. He knows all about dinosaurs. He loves them, and always wanted to see one. Now, he finds himself comforting himself--and his big brother--as he Clomps and he Stomps and he Rages and Rumbles with with all the ferocity of Dinosaur Thunder!

Lyrical writing with powerful emotional resonance will inspire the youngest reader to take charge of their wildest fears!

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
What do we talk about when we talk about thunder? In Brannon’s family, it depends on who’s trying to ease the boy’s anxieties during a noisy storm. Daddy says thunder is “a big cat purring.” Grandma goes old school, reassuring him: “It’s only the angels bowling in heaven.” But these comparisons aren’t quite enough comfort until Brannon’s older brother comes up with an example that taps into Brannon’s sense of competence: “That thunder is only dinosaurs stomping around. And you know about dinosaurs.” Sure enough, fear is trumped by a sense of mastery—at least the kid version of it, which means the ability to name and categorize various dinosaurs with aplomb. Hats off to Bauer (In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb) for turning an emotional truth into a joyful, triumphant story. And thunderous applause for Chodos-Irvine (Light Up the Night), who contributes her best and most elaborate collages to date, alternating scenes of cozy domesticity with Wagnerian visions of what’s happening in the heavens above. Ages 3–5. Agent: Ruben Pfeffer, East West Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (May)
Children's Literature - Sylvia Firth
Brannon is afraid of the sound of thunder that is rumbling to announce a coming storm. His older brother Chad greets this situation with delight while Brannon frantically tries to find a place to hide. His father and both grandparents try to reassure Brannon by telling him that thunder is caused by a giant cat in the sky, by angels bowling, or by the clouds bumping together. Though he can relate to each of these explanations, when the next clap of thunder occurs, Brannon still runs to fine a new hiding place. Only when Chad tells him that trampling dinosaurs are causing the thunder does Brannon feel brave enough to begin dancing with the thunder. The ending, after an especially loud crack, turns the tables and has Brannon comforting Chad and leading him in the "dinosaur thunder dance." Varied materials including vinyl fabric, printed wallpaper, pencil erasers and plastic lace are used to make unusual and interesting illustrations to accompany text printed in mixed sizes and colors. Parents should find this book useful if they have a child afraid of thunder, but unless library budgets are substantial, this is not a necessary addition to the collection.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1—Two brothers wait out a storm. Brannon, the younger one, is afraid of thunder, and with each boom, finds a new place to hide. The grown-ups try to reassure him with well-known salves-the noise is that of "a big cat purring," "angels bowling in heaven," and "clouds bumping together." But Brannon knows about all of those things: a big cat can scratch, bowling pins can fall through the sky, and if clouds bump into one another, maybe one could bump into him. Big brother Chad has the answer; the noise of thunder is "dinosaurs stomping around," and Brannon knows everything about dinosaurs-and nothing about them is scary. He stomps, roars, and rages until a truly frightening boom startles both brothers into Mama's arms. Bauer's rhythmic and simple narrative tells a story to which readers will relate. Chodos-Irvine works her magic with old-fashioned print techniques and rich colors. No new ground is covered here, but the book is lovely for one-on-one sharing nonetheless.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC
Kirkus Reviews
In this perceptively illustrated take on a common theme, an older brother's comment does more than all the supposed comfort offered by grownups to dispel a child's fear of thunder. "When lightning flares / in the faraway sky / and clouds growl like lions waking…" Using elevated language, Bauer describes little Brannon's terror in measured tones as approaching rumbles send him under the bed, then into a closet and finally burrowing into a chest of toys. His father claims that the noise is "only a big cat purring," his grandma that it's angels bowling and grandpa makes a remark about clouds bumping together. Their suggestions just make it worse, as in Chodos-Irvine's multimedia monoprints the pajama-clad tyke envisions a gigantic cat springing from the clouds with a feral glare and other violent scenarios. Then brother Chad whispers that it's only dinosaurs stomping around, and that does the trick. Instead of towering figures of menace, the clouded sky fills with huge, amiable looking dinos whose names Brannon reels off with delight. By the end the two sibs are cavorting in a "dinosaur thunder dance" in the middle of the room. This book's big brother provides just the ticket for riding out scary times. (Picture book. 3-6)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780590452960
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 5/1/2012
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 464,872
  • Age range: 3 - 5 Years
  • Product dimensions: 8.60 (w) x 11.10 (h) x 0.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Marion Dane Bauer has written fiction and nonfiction, picture books, chapter books, young adult novels. Her bestselling novel On My Honor was named a Newbery Honor book. She lives in Minnesota.

Margaret Chodos-Irvine is the illustrator of many picture books, including her Caldecott Honor Book, ELLA SARAH GETS DRESSED. She is known for her imaginative and innovative patterns and unique textured lino-cuts and collographs, as well as her use of vivid colors. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and their two daughters.

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