Tap Tap Boom Boom

by Elizabeth Bluemle, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

The clouds are gathering above a city street and soon — tap, tap, boom, boom! As a thunderstorm rolls in, people of all stripes race down to the subway to get away from the crackling rain and wind. With quirky wordplay and infectious rhymes, Elizabeth Bluemle crystallizes an unexpected moment of community, while G. Brian Karas’s warm illustrations show the smiles to be had when a storm brings strangers together as friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Poetry, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2014

About the author

Elizabeth Bluemle was born in Arizona and has since lived in Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and New York City. She has been an assistant to a television writer/producer, editor of a small press, creative director for a book packaging company, production manager for a literacy press, a volunteer literacy tutor, an elementary school teacher, and a school librarian. She has a master's degree in Education from Bank Street in NYC, and a master's in creative writing from Vermont College. She has lived in Vermont since 1996, when she opened The Flying Pig Bookstore (now in Shelburne, VT) with co-owner and stand-up comedian Josie Leavitt.

In 2002, Bluemle co-founded The Community WordPlay Project, a nonprofit effort to get new books into the hands of qualifying Vermont families, with friend and Vermont artist Sumru Tekin. Together, they created The Charlotte Town Players, a community theatre whose proceeds fund the WordPlay Project, and The Charlotte Book Shelf, a program that gives bookstore vouchers to families who use the Charlotte Food Shelf. So far, the organization has donated thousands of dollars in books to these programs and other Vermont and national literacy initiatives.

Bluemle is the author of My Father the Dog (illustrated by Randy Cecil), Dogs on the Bed (illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf), How Do You Wokka-Wokka? (illustrated by Randy Cecil), and Tap Tap Boom Boom (illustrated by G. Brian Karas), all from Candlewick Press.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sudden rain shower strikes the city. Those caught without umbrellas head for the subway to stay dry.



And, suddenly, a party breaks out underground.

This is a fun weather-related story, particularly for fans of G Brian Karas's artwork.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

This book is a celebration of onomatopoeic words! Sound words! Tap, tap, boom, boom. . . .and I must admit to being relieved at the end of it, but my youngest LOVED this book. He was tap tapping and boom boom booming along with me every.step.of.the.way.

Oy. So glad when it was done. Reading out loud is different than silent reading. Just saying.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story about a rain storm in New York City.

Don't get too caught up in trying to make every line rhyme; it won't. Just get into your own groove and enjoy the story.

Ages: 3-6

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[Mi Ngo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two boys in New York city notice that the sky is getting dark and cloudy and that people begin to pull out their umbrellas. So as the taps of the raindrops develop into booms of thunder, the boys and the other civilians find shelter underground at the subway station. Strangers befriend one another and share umbrellas and wait until the storm subsides. When they go back out, they find a beautiful surprise.

I enjoyed the use of rhyme in this picture book. This would definitely be for children aged 3-7. The verses were very short, but some words might be difficult for kids like the words congregate and descend. But other than that, the onomatopoeia would be enjoyable for them, especially if they were asked to be the ones to say, "tap tap, boom boom, crackle!" The illustrations were very creative, and I liked the use of the diversity of the different ages and races of the civilians. I felt that all of the water drops had a nice effect throughout the book. It's a nicely written and drawn picture book about what people do when facing a storm and how they become closer despite not knowing one another.

[Maggie KutsBorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I clipped together five spreads in the middle of this book, and at that length it was good for my toddlers. I didn't want to do too much storm-story in case they were afraid of thunder, and clipping allowed me to skip from the first rumble to the brightening sky. It was ok - I don't like the way the text sounds read aloud (maybe it needs a reading that's more rhythmic than mine?) - it sounds clunky and strange, not natural. But it was decent overall for rainy day storytime.

[Lizzie]

I'll revisit this one. But, let me say I am so over urban life being illustrated as super NYC like. Are there no other cities in the country?

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for reading aloud to my Kindergartner who's learning about tracking.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful surprise - not only are the illustrations imaginative, but the text is fabulous! It describes a storm through poetry with words that make sense without always following traditional sentence structure. The story is short and simple, but can be molded to fit with rhythm sticks or a tune of the reader's choice. Delightful!

[Katie Logonauts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poem of a book uses repetition and quick choppy lines to render this story of an urban rainstorm as a melodic ode to the unexpected. The collage illustrations add to and expand the story by highlighting the diversity of the people (and pets!) affected by the storm. This is a book that begs to be read aloud, likely again and again.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awkward phrasing, and do people really run into the subway station when it's raining? I'm sure some storytime expert would be able to make this an engaging and fun book, but I can see myself tangling up on the words:

Got a storm,
big storm
in bloom,
here soon...

That's right-
slam bang!
Hold tight
to umbrella.
Wind whirls
helter-skelter.
BOOM BOOM

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urban rainstorm.
Rain

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tap Tap Boom Boom is a children's picture book written by Elizabeth Bluemle and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. It is a story about a storm in a city, which brings people – friends and strangers together underground in a subway to wait out the rain.

Bluemle's text is simplistic, straightforward, and poetic. It is a story, told in rhyme, about a thunderstorm occurring, which haves people of all walks of life to gather in a subway station underground to wait out the storm. Karas' illustrations are wonderfully depicted and exemplifies and apropos to the text rather well. It is an interesting collage of photographic backgrounds and illustrated characters.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is rainy and many are rushing to find shelter – most find it underground in a subway station, where they gather, commune, and fellowship to wait out the storm. Afterward they leave the station to see a rainbow and a promise to return during the next storm.

All in all, Tap Tap Boom Boom is a wonderfully written children's book brings strangers together and become friends to out wait a storm outside.

[Kaitlin Coppenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about when clouds gather in the sky, you better get ready for rain and thunder! When thunderstorms show up, everyone takes covers and strangers become friends to stay dry from the rain. And after the rain usually comes a surprise-a rainbow.

This book is a great way to expose children to word play and rhyming such as "Slap feet, shoes flap, Feet wetter? You'd better go down underground, where the water can't getcha. You betcha."

I would use this book when doing a lesson on rhyming words because of the diverse amount of rhymes. Students could be asked to find rhyming words on each page. This book could also be used when teaching about onomatopoeias since there are many within.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this to my 2-year-old. It's a fairly original take on a rain storm book (of which there are so many) because everyone ends up huddling together down in the subway tunnels to wait for the storm to pass. I enjoyed the cast of characters, and the illustrations are great for setting a slightly gritty city mood. The poetry wasn't my favorite for a read aloud. The "Tap tap boom boom" was fun, but the staccato nature of the poem felt a little too jumpy.

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle lives up to its name as a great choice of onomatopoeia for a rain storm. The delightful illustrations by G. Brian Karas are a cross between photo realism and sweet cartoonish images. The reader not only looks at the scenes, but also up and down and from within them. You feel like one of the pack of people escaping the rain storm! This is a very engaging and entertaining story that promotes community, friendship and the love of a good rain storm!

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are walking along, down the city street when all of a sudden -- tap tap tap. Oh no! Rain! Looks like this is going to be a BIG storm. What to do? Take shelter in the subway! Lots of folks are there getting out of the rain, sharing umbrellas, enjoying an afternoon snack, and listening to the Tap Tap of the rain and the BOOM of thunder. And when the storm is over, you can go back up and see if there are any surprises.

[Atul_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to rest a bit from all those big books and had comfort with children's books instead❤

Awwww, TAP TAP BOOM BOOM is such a cute little book with adorable arts and a great message!! You should see it for yourself!!😍❤ I love when authors put a great message in their writing and this one is no exception. I like that the story tells children that amid surprising events it could turn into a wonderful experience.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the skies begin to rain and thunder rolls in, the people in the city all run to the subway for shelter. Nice things happen and people help each other out. I like the idea of the story, and, with the repetition of the sounds of the rain and thunder, I think it does a good job of making a thunderstorm seem not so frightening.

[Lea Fabrizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle is fun children's picture book where there is very little wording, but the words that are used have big effects such as tap, boom, and crackle. As this story is describing what happens during a storm and the end result. Reading this story genuinely has child written all over it, and makes adult readers want to bring out their inner child. -Lea Fabrizzi

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of hiding out in a subway station during a rainstorm in NYC. You meet a slice of the various people who live and work in the city.

The rhythm of the text bothers me a bit as it's not very consistent through the book.

The subway station and backgrounds are photo realistic, but the people are very two dimension drawings.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of onomatopoeia make this a little awkward to read aloud, but the illustrations are really fun. There's no real main characters, just a bunch of people trying to get out of the storm and many hide together in the subway. With the right reader and/or paper clipping some spreads together, this could be a good addition to a weather themed or rainy day story time.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

During a rainstorm, when the rain is pouring down and the thunder is booming, people take refuge in the subway to stay dry. Even though they are strangers to one another they find a sense of community.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really lyrical (and didn't have as prominent of a repeated section as I hoped for the younger kiddos at our storytimes). But I liked the themes of community and the rain making everyone gather together to make new friends.

[Miriam Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my picture books. With onomatopoeia infused through the whole book, this book provides opportunities for music and instruments to be incorporated throughout its reading. Through its fun verse, the benefits of rainstorms are pointed out.

[Jody Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice poetic book about a thunderstorm bringing people together. It's a fun read, I could see it being fun having little kids act out the onomatopoeia. Just a fun little book for a rainy day, nothing earth shattering.

[Charity Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

We used wooden sticks so the children could tap along to the rain in this story. They really enjoyed it! Some of the language in this book is a little awkward to read aloud, but generally it was good for storytime because of the rhythm and interaction.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a cute book and it had a great rhythm!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could actually hear my preschoolers making tap tap and boom boom noises along with this fast paced book about city dwellers running for the subway during a storm.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively illustrations. Onomatopoeia. And poetic text.

[Seung Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It reminded me of my subway-riding days of yore...