Benjamin's Thunderstorm
- Publisher
- Kids Can Press
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2023
- Category
- NON-CLASSIFIABLE, Weather, Dance
- Recommended Age
- 3 to 7
- Recommended Grade
- p to 2
- Recommended Reading age
- 3 to 7
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781525303203
- Publish Date
- Sep 2023
- List Price
- $21.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
A thunderstorm evokes a boy's family traditions, in this rainy-day story from award-winning author Melanie Florence.
Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colors of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder --- piyêsiwak --- sounds like his grandfather's drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piyêsiwak.
This artfully written story from award-winning author Melanie Florence celebrates both the universal joys of playing in the rain and the connections to family traditions that center and ground us. Elements of Cree powwow culture and Cree words for colors and weather are interwoven into the story, with a pronunciation guide in the back matter. The vibrant and eye-catching art by Hawlii Pichette, inspired by the scenery of northern Ontario, adds drama to the pages. This inviting picture book makes a perfect read-aloud for a rainy day, as well as an excellent introduction to Cree cultural traditions, local communities and experiencing nature firsthand.
About the authors
MELANIE FLORENCE est une autrice primée d’origine crie et écossaise qui vit à Toronto, en Ontario. Elle a écrit Sans Nimâmâ, qui lui a valu le prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse en 2016 ainsi que le prix Golden Oak de la Forêt de la lecture en 2017, et une nomination à titre de finaliste aux prix First Nations Communities READ, la même année. Son album Les mots volés a remporté le prix Ruth et Sylvia Schwartz de littérature jeunesse en 2018, en plus d’être finaliste au prix Marilyn Baillie. Parmi ses autres livres, on compte Righting Canada’s Wrongs: Residential Schools et les romans pour adolescents Just Lucky, He Who Dreams, The Missing, One Night et Rez Runaway. Elle a également coécrit Autumn Bird and the Runaway avec Richard Scrimger.
MELANIE FLORENCE is an award-winning writer of Cree and Scottish heritage based in Toronto, Ontario. She is the author of Missing Nimâmâ, which won the 2016 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the 2017 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award and was a finalist for the 2017 First Nation Communities READ award. Her most recent picture book, Stolen Words, won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award and was a finalist for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. Her other books include Righting Canada’s Wrongs: Residential Schools and the teen novels Just Lucky, He Who Dreams, The Missing, One Night, and Rez Runaway. Visit her at https://www.melanieflorence.com/.
Melanie Florence's profile page
HAWLII PICHETTE, une artiste et une illustratrice urbaine de la communauté Mushkego Cree (Traité n° 9), vient d’une famille multiethnique. Née et élevée dans la petite communauté de Cochrane, en Ontario, elle est profondément influencée par sa culture, son éducation et le monde naturel. Elle vit à London, en Ontario.
HAWLII PICHETTE is a Mushkego Cree (Treaty 9) urban mixed-blood artist and illustrator. Born and raised in the small community of Cochrane, Ontario, she is deeply influenced by her culture, her upbringing and the natural world. She lives in London, Ontario.
Awards
- Long-listed, 2024-2025 First Nation Communities READ Children's Award, First Nation Communities READ
Editorial Reviews
Presented in a lovely picture book format, the story of young Benjamin and his love of nature is a wonderful tale well told.
Children's Literature
Ideal for young children, Benjamin's Thunderstorm, a graphically, linguistically (Cree and English) and lyrically rich narrative, is a winning piece of contemporary realistic fiction...
CM Magazine
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