What's Scarier Than Thunder?

by Ben Falcone Narrated by Ben Falcone

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

You know what scares away fear? Laughter. And thanks to this side-splitting picture book, laughing away fears and phobias just got a lot easier.

For fans of I'm Not Scared, You're Scared, comes a hilarious audiobook about using humor to combat fear, from actor and director Ben Falcone.

It's time for bed, but Claire can't fall asleep. There's a storm outside, and the thunder is so loud and scary! Good thing her parents are there to help. They tell Claire there's no reason to be afraid. After all, there are plenty of things that are scarier than thunder...like a scorpion named Finn who plays the violin! A snake with big fangs and uneven bangs! And a dragon named Rance with ants in his pants! The hilarious list gets more and more outsized, building on itself in the most outrageous ways possible, until Claire is giggling herself right to sleep.

Actor/Director/Writer Ben Falcone delivers a delightfully silly story that reminds us that sometimes a good belly laugh is just the thing you need.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"[W]hat lingers isn’t fear but the feelings of playfulness and safety that can bloom amid attachments secure enough to be silly." —PW

Kirkus Reviews

2024-11-23
A sweet and silly antidote to a child’s fear.

Claire can’t fall asleep after she’s frightened by a loud thunderclap, so her father comes to her bedroom to provide reassurance. Instead of offering comfort through meteorological explanations or soothing words, however, he tells her that he overcame his own fear of thunder when he “realized there are so many other things that are much scarier.” Though this approach could have easily backfired by introducing Claire to new fears, the scary things her dad describes in bouncing, rhyming verse are funny, not fearsome: “There’s a moose filled with custard holding a sword made of mustard.” While Cornell’s energetic, cartoon-style illustrations use a full-color palette to depict Claire, her father, and the setting, scenes depicting Claire imagining the things her dad describes are cleverly rendered in monochromatic blues. Eventually, her mother joins in on the fun, voicing her own ideas to make Claire laugh. Some adults may wonder why there are no other thunderclaps after the first one—is the storm over? If so, why does Claire still need reassurance? And if not, why aren’t her parents’ playful words punctuated by ongoing crashes? Still, young readers likely won’t notice—and will have a blast alongside the young protagonist. Claire and her parents are tan-skinned.

Imaginative fun—and just the thing to buoy kids through their own fears.(Picture book. 2-6)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191148007
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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