Got a little one who’s crazy about dinosaurs … but not so crazy about sudden thunderstorms that strike on hot muggy summer days? After reading Dinosaur Thunder by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, he may happily stomp around the house doing “the dinosaur thunder dance” next time a summer storm rolls around. In this reassuring, imaginative picture book, Bauer once again tackles a natural occurrence from a child’s point of view. (Her last, In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb, creatively told the story of how winter makes way for spring.) Here, Brannon and his older brother, Chad, are playing in the living room “when lightning flares/ in the faraway sky/ and clouds growl like lions waking.” Brannon is frightened, so one by one various family members try to reassure him by suggesting that thunder is something else. His father says that the “thunder is only a big cat purring.” Brannon imagines an enormous cat with sharp teeth and claws leaping out at him. His grandmother tells him that thunder is the noise of “angels bowling in heaven.” Brannon imagines angels boisterously playing in the heavens, with the bowling balls and tenpins falling through the clouds. His grandfather explains that thunder is “only the clouds bumping together.” Brannon’s imagination goes wild: Giants made out of clouds threateningly surround the small boy.
Finally, Brannon’s brother, Chad, steps in and offers his own input: “That thunder is only dinosaurs stomping around. And you know about dinosaurs,” he whispers to the younger boy. That’s just what Brannon needed to hear. He knows everything there is to know about dinosaurs—“some are bigger than cars, bigger than trucks, bigger than houses”—and that makes him feel more in control of the situation. His mind fills in the gaps with visions of friendly-looking, colorful dinosaurs roaming the skies. And by book’s end, Brannon and his brother are both gleefully doing “the dinosaur thunder dance.” Chodos-Irvine’s bright multimedia prints are the perfect complement to Bauer’s spot-on, insightful text. Inviting, down-to-earth illustrations of Brannon and his loving family mingle with scenes of fanciful creatures creating drama in the sky. By tapping into a popular childhood passion, Dinosaur Thunder captivates and calms. It’s a great reminder of the power of our imaginations.
What is your or your child’s favorite dinosaur-theme book?
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Sandra Lee Rella, mother of two budding bookworms, is a freelance editor and writer, and a former children’s book review editor.
