Thunder and the Noise Storms

by Jeffrey Ansloos, Shezza Ansloos

When the world gets too loud and chaotic, a young boy’s grandfather helps him listen with wonder instead.

Kids laughing, sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing—for Thunder, the sounds of the school day often brew into overwhelming noise storms. But when Thunder’s mosom asks him what he hears on an urban nature walk, Thunder starts to understand how sounds like bird wings flapping and rushing water can help him feel calm and connected. Gentle, inviting illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley emphasize Mosom’s lessons about the healing power of the world around us.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Indigenous, Canada, Fiction, Cultural, Native American

36 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book that teaches mindfulness through an Indigenous perspective?!? Yes, please!

I'm ashamed to say how long it's taken me to read this one because I've seen it around the library for ages. On a whim, I made the decision to check it out for my nightly storytime with my daughter. While it may have been a little too long for her age group, I loved the message behind it. The story follows a main character by the name of Thunder who has noise sensitivities that make him anxious. From storms to loud students, Thunder gets a "funny feeling" when he becomes overwhelmed by noise. Fortunately, his Mosom comes to the rescue and teaches Thunder how to slow down, connect with the environment, and listen to his heart. It was such a wonderful way to teach Thunder how to work through his anxiety. My daughter appears to have some noise sensitivities so this is definitely a title that I'm going to reference when she gets other. If you're looking to add more Indigenous picture books to your collection or shelves definitely consider this one!

[Nadia L. Hohn]

A social story about mindfulness and self-regulation told from a Cree Indigenous perspective. Thunder is a young student who is impacted by sounds and learns a strategy to cope. As a teacher, I know this book would be helpful to my students who have autism/ASD.

[Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the diversity included in this book! It's a good attempt to explain noise sensitivity to those who may not experience it or for kids who experience it all too often.

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book first and then read it again with my five year old, and we both loved it.

This story is an important one, about how sometimes the world around us is just too much of everything. The noises are overwhelming and makes us so angry/ frustrated. My daughter and I could both relate to situations in the book, and when Mosom (the Grandfather) came and was talking about breathing and trying to find the calm around him my daughter loved it. Mosom takes Thunder on a walkabout and throughout the walk says "Thunder, Thunder listen with wonder..". We now do that on our daily walks around the neighborhood to just listen to the breeze through the trees, the water from the river, and the noises of nature all around us. I have found doing this helps to center both of us more. This book is a treasure and should be in everyone's collection.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous, well written story for anyone who feels over-whelmed by the noises of life! I know there are children out there who are sound sensitive who will really appreciate this story. Losing my hearing has made hearing the simple, quiet sounds harder to hear over all the loudness, but I still love to find quiet spots just to listen to sounds I can still here. They bring peace to my soul. This story is a reminder of that! I think this book is a good read for any age. It reminds us to be still and at peace with nature. Wonderful story. I loved the illustrations of the grandfather and grandson seeking quiet together. Great lesson and image of non-traditional family. Nice intro to other culture, too!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder gets overwhelmed by the "noise storms" at school sometimes. One particularly noisy day, Thunder has an especially hard time and the school calls their Mosom, or grandfather. After taking a slow walk and "listening with wonder," Thunder is calmer and able to return to school with this new method for self-regulating when there is too much auditory/sensory stimulation. I loved this Cree story of handling life's challenges, accompanied by Anishinaabe artist Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's fantastic art.

Themes: Sound, Noise, Family, School, Nature
Age range: Kindergarten-Elementary (could definitely be used with middle school students, especially those who also struggle with sensory overload)

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

When I first determined what was going on this story, I was initially very excited! We need more approachable, kid-friendly texts on being diagnosed as autistic! Alas, it doesn’t mention as autism at all. That said, the strategies Mosom teaches Thunder are good and could be taught to autistic kids to help them manage the neurotypical world we live in.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet book that had a message that was great for kids and adults alike. I found the illustrations to be beautiful and the story itself very easy to follow. Some words were a bit difficult to pronounce, and it would have been nice it it was written with phoneme segmentation to help the reader.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was first published to my blog at Thunder and the Noise Storms Check it out if you want to see examples of the artwork.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this picture book. It was released October 12, 2021, by Annick Press.
Thunder is a young boy who is hypersensitive to sound. When there is too much of it, it creates a noise storm in his head. When he gets overwhelmed by these storms he gets "that funny feeling in my body and my brain feels woozy." Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's illustrations, like the one in the music room, made me feel overwhelmed by noise!

By recess time, poor Thunder is so frustrated he has a meltdown and the principal calls his Mosom (Grandfather). The rest of the children go inside school while Mosom takes him on a nature walk. On their walk, Mosom teaches Thunder about mamaskasitawew, listening with wonder. Thunder learns to focus on the quiet sounds of wind, trees, squirrels, birds and other noises in nature.

Eventually he is able to focus on the sound of his own heart. When they return to the noisy classroom, Thunder remembers his Mosom's words, "Thunder Thunder, listen with wonder," and finds that listening to his own heart helps him remain calm.

I liked a lot about this picture book. I loved that Thunder is accepted for who he is and when it's obvious he needs help, the principal gets that one person who can help him. I appreciate that while the story is told in small chunks of text, sounds are integrated into the illustrations in large colourful font. This is sure to make it easier for readers to empathize with Thunder's problem. Not only will it help other students to understand peers like Thunder, it can reinforce the need for using quiet inside voices. I see using mamaskasitawew as a model for helping all students learn to listen, not just those with similar issues.

While I think that mamaskasitawew is a brilliant strategy for learning how to deal with noisy situations, I found the timeline for Thunder's sudden ability to use it unreasonable. I can't imagine learning this skill in one walk, and worry that younger readers might think it's this easy. Of course this issue can easily be dealt with in a classroom conversation about the book.

I admire Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's artwork - especially the touches of woodland style throughout the book. It's more obvious when you look at the animals, but hints of it are integrated across the book. He works mainly in acrylics, digital illustration and screen-printing. If you've read Sharice's Big Voice, then you already know his work.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder and the Noise Storms is a wonderful picture book that addresses the universal stress of anxiety through an indigenous perspective. The story is about a child named Thunder who is sensitive to noise. In particular, he gets overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of daily life and the noisy nature involved with attending school. When Thunder is faced with what appears to be an anxiety attack his Mosom (Grandpa in Cree) comes to comfort him. Mosom takes Thunder for a walk, sharing with him a word that helps with the noise storms: Mamaskasitawew means to listen with wonder and Mosom teaches Thunder to listen to the quiet things – like the windsong, the birds flying, and the river flowing. Thanks to Mosom’s lesson in mamaskasitawew, Thunder knows that now whenever he feels overwhelmed, “I could still listen to my heart.” This books features wonderful art by Anishinaabe illustrator Pawis-Steckley in Woodland style that highlights Thunder’s feelings and the importance of the Cree authors’ story. We need more books like Thunder and the Noise Storms, ones that teach us to listen to our hearts, to slow down, to breathe

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world sometimes gets too loud and chaotic. This young boy learns to listen with wonder instead. The quietness in nature helps him feel calm and connected. There is healing power in the world around us. An important lesson for us all and especially for children who experience sensory overload. A beautiful read for kids with autism or Aspberger’s syndrome.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serendipity- this was pared with Harley the Hero, about invisible disabilities. And here we have a you g boy who struggles with sensory input being overwhelming. These are great books for talking about how people have different challenges.

[G_lalonde]

Thunder gets overwhelmed at school with all the noises. His grandfather is called and they walk through the woods, exploring the sounds of birds, water, trees and his heart. Filtering the noises and listening helps him overcome the noise storm.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the term mindfulness is never used, Thunder's grandfather teaches him that when the noise around him is too much, he can use mindful listening to hear soothing and quiet sounds...his breath, the wind, his heartbeat...to calm himself.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy struggles with sensory issues at school when scenarios get loud and overwhelming, so the school calls his grandpa. The grandpa validates his feelings while also giving him coping tools. I didn't really care for the illustrative style, but I appreciate the story concept.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduces some Indigenous words and concepts. This book would also be good for someone with auditory sensory struggles.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy with noise sensitivity gets advice from his grandfather on how to listen to the quiet beneath the noise and calm himself down.

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helps to foster understanding of and compassion for those dealing with Autism and is also good for anyone who needs to settle down when they're anxious. Nice.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different than I expected, but really good. I appreciate the Native elements and also the inclusiveness of a student with noise sensory sensitivity.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at a child overwhelmed by loud noises learning how to self-soothe and use mindfulness for calming.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thunder, Thunder, listen with wonder."