Thunder and the Noise Storms by Jeffrey Ansloos, Sheeza Ansloos, and illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley.
Genre/Category
Thunder and the Noise Storms is a realistic children’s picture book. The category I am reviewing for is Pre-K-6th grade Disability or Differences.
Target Age Group
This book is suitable for children aged 4-7 years old, or in kindergarten - 2nd grade.
Summary
Protagonist Thunder faces difficulties at school due to the loud and diverse noises that he encounters throughout his day, which upset and overwhelm him. It isn’t until he goes on a walk with his Mosom, the Cree word for grandfather, that he learns that there are ways to find comfort in the noises of life, and ways to stay grounded during noise storms.
Justification
Found on booklists recommended by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, this title is beneficial for young readers for many reasons. Thunder provides relatable experiences for neurodivergent readers as he learns to manage overstimulation and frustrations regarding sound that arise. Thunder and the Noise Storms also provides an Indigenous perspective, as his Mosom provides Indigenous teachings to understand the sounds of nature and the lives of animals.
Evaluation
I have chosen to evaluate the illustrations, conflict, and pacing of Thunder and the Noise Storms.
Illustrations
In Thunder and the Noise Storms, loud noises of different kinds are daily obstacles for the protagonist Thunder. The illustrations of the noises reinforce Thunder’s feelings and make them palpable for the reader. For example, in the image below, Thunder is in the foreground covering one side of his head, as the rest of the page spread displays words that have an onomatopoeic effect in their size, shapes, and repetition. The bell and the words “ring” shake; the laughter becomes larger and surrounds the students’ bodies. There are many other scenes such as this to reinforce this effect. The sound words and vibrant colors work to both portray overstimulation at some points, as well as represent how Thunder learns to understand the beauty in the world.
Conflict
Thunder and the Noise Storms is told from the perspective of Thunder, so the reader can understand the hardships he faces as he tells them. The first half of the narrative establishes the conflict of the story well. Thunder feels alone and upset throughout the various times of his school day from recess, to gym, to the hallways, and more. Because the conflict is established early and in-depth, it is balanced by the resolution emphasized by Thunder’s Mosom, as he teaches his grandson the Cree word “mamaskasitawew” which means “to listen with wonder.” By internalizing this word, Thunder is able to embrace the conflict of overstimulation by finding sounds within the noise he can hold on to, like his heartbeat.
Pacing
As discussed in the previous paragraph, the conflict works well in this title because of its early, thorough establishment and concrete resolution. Additionally, the pacing supports the conflict. The book is set up in three parts: Thunder’s trouble with noise storms at school, his walk with his grandfather where he learns to listen differently, and Thunder’s experiences back at school with his newfound lessons learned. Each aspect of the book is paced well and given ample time to be discussed. The narrative slows down during Thunder’s walk with his Mosom, as the characters slow down as well, taking time to really listen and learn about what the sounds of nature have to teach us. The pacing works well in tandem with the narrative’s conflict and illustrations to create a well-rounded story.
Reference
Ansloos, J., & Ansloos, S. (2021). Thunder and the Noise Storms (J. M. Pawis-Steckley, Illus.). Annick Press.