What do you think?
The Brain Storm
"A sturdy addition to the bad-mood shelf." -Kirkus This wordless picture book is a thought-provoking exploration of disruptive feelings. Readers may interpret these as anger, anxiety, or even a creative brain storm . Follow along as a mood pesters a young boy and ends up rubbing off on all those around him. After a frustrating day under his version of a little dark cloud, he discovers that ultimately working through your feelings and emotions begins with you. The wordless pages inspire readers to "read" the story as they apply their own interpretations to the young boy's plight.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 16, 2019
5 out of 5 stars!
Being the avid reader I am, I have always been sceptical of wordless picture books. I couldn't understand the reason for a wordless book. Children's book or not, it just didn't make any sense to me.
What is a book without words?
That is until I sat down to read "The Brain Storm" ...with my two most wonderful boys!
Their expressions said it all.
A wordless book opens the story to your own interpretation.
After flipping through the book I asked my oldest who is nearing 10 years old, for his thoughts on the story and what he thought it meant. It was incredible to see just how close our ideas were.
I can't wait till I can sit down with my youngest when he is a bit older to get his interpretation. He's only 2... just a little too young to get feedback from just yet.
What's even more amazing is no matter how many times you flip through this book, you will have a different story run through your imagination each time. Depending on your mood in that moment.
We will be able to enjoy this story for years to come and never get tired of it!
Wordless children books----- Perhaps my age was getting the best of me. Maybe I was losing connection with my own imagination.
One things for sure... The Brain Storm changed that!
Thank you so much to Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. for sending me this copy for review! It will bring a great amount of joy to my family!
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Changed Book Worm
-Nichole
Being the avid reader I am, I have always been sceptical of wordless picture books. I couldn't understand the reason for a wordless book. Children's book or not, it just didn't make any sense to me.
What is a book without words?
That is until I sat down to read "The Brain Storm" ...with my two most wonderful boys!
Their expressions said it all.
A wordless book opens the story to your own interpretation.
After flipping through the book I asked my oldest who is nearing 10 years old, for his thoughts on the story and what he thought it meant. It was incredible to see just how close our ideas were.
I can't wait till I can sit down with my youngest when he is a bit older to get his interpretation. He's only 2... just a little too young to get feedback from just yet.
What's even more amazing is no matter how many times you flip through this book, you will have a different story run through your imagination each time. Depending on your mood in that moment.
We will be able to enjoy this story for years to come and never get tired of it!
Wordless children books----- Perhaps my age was getting the best of me. Maybe I was losing connection with my own imagination.
One things for sure... The Brain Storm changed that!
Thank you so much to Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. for sending me this copy for review! It will bring a great amount of joy to my family!
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Changed Book Worm
-Nichole
June 23, 2023
* One person's deep is another person's shallow.
* One person's meaningful is another person's trivial.
You know what, Goodreaders? I couldn't really make much sense out of this wordless book. So I'll turn to the blurb here on Goodreads.
SUPPOSEDLY, THIS IS A STURDY BOOK
"A sturdy addition to the bad-mood shelf." -Kirkus
Those Kirkus reviewers sure have a knack for knowing it all. Being a mere mortal, and not knowing everything, I have no idea what the writer was really attempting to communicate.
To me that's a problem. Since children could interpret these disturbing pictures... in terms of their very worst fears.
FOR A MORE CEREBRAL CELEBRATION OF THIS ILL-DEFINED BOOK
"This wordless picture book is a thought-provoking exploration of disruptive feelings. Readers may interpret these as anger, anxiety, or even a creative brain storm."
In my view, kids have enough trouble making sense out of life. They don't need ill-defined books and stories, particularly about their difficult emotions.
TELLING A CHILD UNDER TEN TO "WORK THROUGH THEIR EMOTIONS"?
"After a frustrating day under his version of a little dark cloud, he discovers that ultimately working through your feelings and emotions begins with you."
Says who? A therapist, or a self-proclaimed expert at pop psychology ?
This consciousness engineer doesn't know everything. But I do know some things. And I sure don't believe that children under ten have the capacity to do psychological work on themselves. Asking them to do that is one way to mess them up.
For that reason, I'm warning you thoughtful Goodreaders. Avoid exposing your child to this book. Although clearly intended to be helpful, this picture book may actively be harmful. Do you want to risk that?
* One person's meaningful is another person's trivial.
You know what, Goodreaders? I couldn't really make much sense out of this wordless book. So I'll turn to the blurb here on Goodreads.
SUPPOSEDLY, THIS IS A STURDY BOOK
"A sturdy addition to the bad-mood shelf." -Kirkus
Those Kirkus reviewers sure have a knack for knowing it all. Being a mere mortal, and not knowing everything, I have no idea what the writer was really attempting to communicate.
To me that's a problem. Since children could interpret these disturbing pictures... in terms of their very worst fears.
FOR A MORE CEREBRAL CELEBRATION OF THIS ILL-DEFINED BOOK
"This wordless picture book is a thought-provoking exploration of disruptive feelings. Readers may interpret these as anger, anxiety, or even a creative brain storm."
In my view, kids have enough trouble making sense out of life. They don't need ill-defined books and stories, particularly about their difficult emotions.
TELLING A CHILD UNDER TEN TO "WORK THROUGH THEIR EMOTIONS"?
"After a frustrating day under his version of a little dark cloud, he discovers that ultimately working through your feelings and emotions begins with you."
Says who? A therapist, or a self-proclaimed expert at pop psychology ?
This consciousness engineer doesn't know everything. But I do know some things. And I sure don't believe that children under ten have the capacity to do psychological work on themselves. Asking them to do that is one way to mess them up.
For that reason, I'm warning you thoughtful Goodreaders. Avoid exposing your child to this book. Although clearly intended to be helpful, this picture book may actively be harmful. Do you want to risk that?
December 19, 2018
This wordless picture book speaks volumes about attitude and how to deal with a bad mood or as it's portrayed here, a brain storm. A young boy wakes up in the morning with dark thoughts or a cloud handing over his head. The darkness continues to plague him throughout the day, touching and tainting everyone he meets and all of his experiences until it almost completely consumes him. Finally, after a tough day at school, he returns home and looks for some ways to get rid of the trouble, eventually folding it up into an airplane and sailing it away. The message here is excellent, enhanced by the images that show how the brain storm is overtaking everything, and then the colorful final double-page spread in which he can finally rest peacefully after it's gone. This title is perfect for sharing with youngsters who are struggling with something or who could use an attitude adjustment. It made me smile and reminded me to list my blessings and not my misfortunes.
October 31, 2019
The Brain Storm by Linda Ragsdale, illustrated by Claudio Molina. PICTURE BOOK. Flowerpot Children’s Press, 2019. $17. 9781486715565
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A young boy wakes up with a messy cloud above his head and finds throughout his day that the people he encounters also have messy clouds around them. Without any words, this book follows the boy as people try to help and he finally finds a way to make sense of the cloud and dispel it.
I predict that kids will light up when they see something they frequently feel being illustrated on the pages of a book. The wordless nature also lends itself to readers being able to make their own connections to their own life.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A young boy wakes up with a messy cloud above his head and finds throughout his day that the people he encounters also have messy clouds around them. Without any words, this book follows the boy as people try to help and he finally finds a way to make sense of the cloud and dispel it.
I predict that kids will light up when they see something they frequently feel being illustrated on the pages of a book. The wordless nature also lends itself to readers being able to make their own connections to their own life.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
May 3, 2022
This review is being used for class ELED 460.
The Brain Storm is a 2019 book written by Linda Ragsdale and illustrated by Caludia Molina. The book was published by Flowerpoint Press and has 32 pages. The book falls within the fiction or realistic fiction genre!
This book is about a boy who wakes up in a (very visible) funk. He goes about his day trying to rid his funk, hide it, make it go away, and it ends up getting harder to control and even affecting some of the people around him. His grandma even makes him a funk-sweater! By the end, he figures out how to make his funk into something cool- a paper airplane. He goes to sleep feeling much better than how he woke up and has figured out how to manage his funk. This book is really awesome for understanding emotional regulation, and the visual imagery of the kiddos feelings is really beneficial!
The Brain Storm is a 2019 book written by Linda Ragsdale and illustrated by Caludia Molina. The book was published by Flowerpoint Press and has 32 pages. The book falls within the fiction or realistic fiction genre!
This book is about a boy who wakes up in a (very visible) funk. He goes about his day trying to rid his funk, hide it, make it go away, and it ends up getting harder to control and even affecting some of the people around him. His grandma even makes him a funk-sweater! By the end, he figures out how to make his funk into something cool- a paper airplane. He goes to sleep feeling much better than how he woke up and has figured out how to manage his funk. This book is really awesome for understanding emotional regulation, and the visual imagery of the kiddos feelings is really beneficial!
March 29, 2023
When I first saw the title of this book, I thought of brainstorming or coming up with as many ideas as possible. But when you look at the cover of this wordless book you immediately know it is about a bad day when your brain is having a "storm." I really appreciated that as the book progresses the reader sees how this one problem is causing other problems as well. Despite the boy's attempts to just get rid of the storm and even grandma's "help," he learns that only by dealing with the storm will he eventually be able to get rid of it. That's a lesson I took years to learn and I think I still need reminders to this day!
July 31, 2019
Good for talking to kids about being grumpy but it depends largely on adult explanation and might not work well with kids who don't understand abstract drawings like "fuzzy squiggles equals foul mood," but it's good to become literate with illustrations. It veers close to depression tropes and doesn't give actionable tips for how kids can work out their foul mood. Still, could be a good jumping off point for a conversation. No good for a kid who's already grumpy. Only for preparing for the next outburst of the grumps.
January 27, 2019
I don't often use wordless picture books (although I probably should...) But I think this one will be great for my students! I think the grumpiness/dark cloud/"brain storm" will be completely relatable. I think we can talk about about the effect it has on yourself and others when you stay stuck in that mood, and then also talk strategies for getting rid of it! Perfect addition to my classroom library!
March 14, 2019
The little boy in the red striped shirt wakes up with angry eyes and a storm brewing over his head. The Brain Storm wordlessly follows the little boy through his day, where his 'brain storm' affects everyone with whom he comes in contact until he finally takes control.
As a story that relies on images and no text, The Brain Storm is quite effective. I love the cover that tells us The Brain Storm is "Unwritten by Linda Ragsdale"
As a story that relies on images and no text, The Brain Storm is quite effective. I love the cover that tells us The Brain Storm is "Unwritten by Linda Ragsdale"
April 16, 2021
The brain storm: Es un libro de alta calidad, ya que muestra en las ilustraciones mezclas de colores que se pueden interpretar como sentimientos, donde los lectores pueden interpretar muchas expresiones, también logra demostrar que está en nosotros cambiar los días malos a días más alegres. En los lectores despertará gran curiosidad mientras lo leen porque va expresando diferentes emociones que hay que intentar descifrar y los tendrá intrigados con saber cómo terminará la historia del niño.
March 21, 2019
The illustrations tell the story of a young boy who has a scribble cloud over his head all day long. He's obviously in a bad mood, but we don't really know why. At the end of the day, he takes his scribbles and folds them up into an airplane and sends them out the window. He can finally sleep peacefully and we hope he has a better day tomorrow.
July 15, 2019
When a boy wakes up with a messy brain storm above his head, he notices that lots of the other kids he interacts with also have storms of their own. By the end of the day, the boy finds a solution that works for him.
An interesting wordless book. As an adult, I enjoyed the allusion, will a child see the purpose?
An interesting wordless book. As an adult, I enjoyed the allusion, will a child see the purpose?
February 7, 2020
A great choice to teach kids while stress is something that is going to be part of their lives, they control what they do with it and they can deal with it.
This small-press book is wordless and relies on illustrations to do the telling: "read" the pictures in this book with your 3-8 year old and tell your own story.
Recommended bibliotherapy for kids dealing with anxiety or stress.
This small-press book is wordless and relies on illustrations to do the telling: "read" the pictures in this book with your 3-8 year old and tell your own story.
Recommended bibliotherapy for kids dealing with anxiety or stress.
January 12, 2023
An interesting wordless story following a young boy and his "brain storm". Some of the images felt confusing and unclear during the story and I was saddened that the ending became a perpetual loop of the book's events.
Would have liked to see more illustrations and more expressive art from the characters for a more clear and linear story.
Would have liked to see more illustrations and more expressive art from the characters for a more clear and linear story.
February 17, 2026
A small boy seems to be unable to shake the negativity that has come into his life. He tries and tries to deal with it; but in the end the black squiggly lines seem to always crowd out any solution he comes up with. Very innovative look at how negative emotions can start to have more and moree of an impact on everything we do.
February 9, 2019
This wordless picture book provides a great way to talk to children about being in a bad mood. How it feels, how it affects other and how to handle it. With simple illustrations we follow a young boy as his scribbling cloud of darkness follows him through the day.
February 27, 2019
I appreciated the premise but the visuals didn't work for me on this one. I think The Bad Mood and the Stick is probably a better bet for a similar premise?
June 17, 2019
Decent wordless picture book about social-emotional learning. Like most wordless books, it would be best as a lap read where you could talk about it as you go. There are a lot of books about feeling coming out of late, and this one isn't exceptional but it's fine.
May 27, 2021
A clever wordless book about a little boy's bad mood. It is compared to a brain storm that follows him around all day. Finally he figures out how to turn it into something else and let it go. Sweet and creative.
February 17, 2019
5 stars for the illustrations and the concept. Nicely done!
February 19, 2019
Wordless and emotional. This can be shared aloud to encourage emotional expression and empathy. I will use this book for school visits and library promotions.
March 9, 2019
3.5 stars
Wordless.
Wordless.
April 15, 2019
A wordless picture book depicting a young boy working his way through a bad mood.
April 26, 2019
Wordless book that captures how our minds and thoughts impact us.
July 3, 2019
that was cool. Wordless picture books usually are pretty cool, and while this one isn't as cool as Pool by Jihyeon Lee, it's pretty great.
Read
July 22, 2019Beautiful wordless picture book!
One of my faves!
One of my faves!
July 29, 2019
A wordless picture book about one boy’s anger and how it affects those around him. The storyline could’ve been clearer.
December 3, 2019
A little confusing in the gymnasium spread--hard to follow by hairstyle/clothing. The sweater was fun! A bit of a band-aid (temporary) ending.
February 21, 2020
Looking through this book, it has such a deep meaning and a good start to discuss with children on how best to work out their negative emotions.
Read
January 6, 2021I love this book!!! This is such an insightful book about all the things in our daily thoughts...
Must read for all ages!
Must read for all ages!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews