Review by Booklist Review
A little girl cowers under the kitchen sink as a loud thunderstorm rages. The child's father coaxes her out from her hiding spot with a calming presence and an imaginative opportunity to join him in Thunderland. Sitting snug inside a fort fashioned out of bedsheets and chairs, stocked with snacks and stuffed animal pals, they embrace the storm, making a game out of a scary situation. Dad suggests, "How about every time it RUMBLES we yell back louder? Ready?" Skeptical at first, the child agrees to play along. Naming the storm Nancy, they ask questions and dream up responses. The young narrator faces her fear and is able to offer reassurances of her own: "'It's okay, Dad,' I say. 'I'm here. Storms are scary, but we can be brave and afraid all at the same time.'" Willis' inky-hued digital illustrations are illuminated by beaconing flashes of yellow in the dark. A comforting picture book about weathering storms together.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When a particularly raucous thunderstorm sends a child and dog cowering under the sink, a bearded, bespectacled father coaxes them, suggesting, "We'll miss our chance... To go to Thunderland." Thunderland resembles a homemade, window-adjacent fort constructed of chairs and bedsheets, but as Dad tells the child, instead of representing a place to hide, "Here, we wrap ourselves up tight with the storm. What do you say we invite it to play?" The next time the storm "RUMBLES," the two, portrayed with dark hair and pale skin, yell back even louder, and the youth gains enough confidence to ask the storm its name--Nancy. When an even louder "BOOM CRACK" rattles the house following Dad's taking the last cookie, it becomes the child's turn to offer comfort. Edkins Willis (Little Ghost Makes a Friend) depicts the darkened, storm-surrounded residence in digital art that resembles markers and brushwork. In some frames, thunderclouds seem to be gathering right inside the home, sending bolts of yellow lightning slicing toward the floor. After the storm, the child promises to have Thunderland ready for Nancy's next return; equipped with feelings of security and unshakable love, they know "we can be brave and afraid all at the same time." Ages 3--5. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Mar.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
"I don't like the CRACKS and the CRASHES and the RUMBLES." As a thunderstorm approaches, an anxious child hides in the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink. Dad, with a scruffy beard and a steady presence, coaxes the narrator to emerge into the "magic" of Thunderland. The child is hesitant but lured by the appeal of a cozy blanket fort with snacks and beloved stuffed animals. The protagonist (with Dad's encouragement) names the storm Nancy, and the two holler back at her turbulent booms. Thunderland sparks an idea inside of the narrator: perhaps "we can be brave and afraid all at the same time." The sketchy strokes of Willis's digital wax-pencil illustrations depict dark, moody scenes illuminated by yellow flashes of lightning and the glow of a flashlight. The storm's intensity is visually expressed through the jagged font of crack, the dramatic capital letters of crash, and the wavy-lettered word rumble. When the storm retreats, golden rays of sunlight dispatch the darkness and shower parent and child in light, conveying that as storms pass, so does fear. Willis's relatable first-person narrative offers an endearing depiction of a parent guiding their child through fear to bravery and will be a story to revisit anytime the cracks, crashes, and rumbles roll in. Emily BrushMay/June 2025 p.77 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Edkins Willis tackles a common childhood fear with compassion and imagination. The young narrator dislikes everything about thunderstorms--the "inky clouds," "howling winds," "scary shapes in the shadows," and the "CRACKS and the CRASHES and the RUMBLES." When all these dreaded things happen simultaneously, the child hides under the kitchen sink. Dad stands on the facing page, holding pillows as he gazes out at the storm. The protagonist is dubious when he suggests they go to a place he calls Thunderland, but the little one follows him to a pillow fort he's made by the window. Together with their small dog, they huddle inside with assorted stuffed animal friends. The space feels cozy due to the rounded forms, soft lines, and highlights of warm color in the sketchy pictures, which adopt a style similar to some of Dan Santat's work. An imaginative turn occurs when Dad suggests they invite the storm to play with them, and a lively shouting match ensues. Father and child compete with the storm, with their yelling, the dog's howls, and thunderclaps conveyed through large, full-caps lettering. The storm's personification humorously continues as they name the storm "Nancy," imagine where she came from and where she's going, and share their cookies with her. By the time Nancy departs, the child is somewhat saddened by her departure, though decidedly buoyed by playful, sensitive Dad's compassion. Dad and child are brown-skinned. Share this book for thunderous storytime applause.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
