Hot sun, swimming in lakes, and loud thunder are all part of my favorite summertime memories, but I am not sure that I would have included thunder when I was a young child. Thunderstorms are one of the most common fears of children. And who is to blame them? The sky crashing and booming. It can be unnerving even to an adult.

A couple weeks ago, my cousin posted a picture of her reading Thunder Cake by Patrica Polacco to to her daughter to help calm her during a thunderstorm. That adorable photo inspired me to find more books about thunderstorms, and the first one I recommend is Thunder Cake. A very sweet story of a grandmother helping her granddaughter through a thunderstorm by gathering the ingredients for thunder cake. They must hurry to gather everything before the storm arrives. I highly encourage you to use the recipe at the back of the book to make your own thunder cake the next time a thunderstorm arrives in your area.

Learning that your grandparents were once little and that they too have (and had) fears is part of every child's journey. It is an important lesson in humanity and resilience that we pass on from generation to generation. Thunder Cake shares this lesson, as does the next book, I am recommending. Storm in the Night by Pat Cummings is the story of a young boy and his grandfather trying to pass the time during a power outage caused by a storm. Perfect for preschoolers who can sit through longer stories (or younger children if you paraphrase), this lovely book help normalize fears while also showing children the power of thinking about others.

Rain Play by Cynthis Cotten and Javaka Steptoe starts with a family at the playground when rain suddenly starts. They splash and play in the rain until it starts to thunder and then run for the car laughing. A great book for making thunderstorms playful and fun.

Life on a farm revolves around the seasons and the weather, and Ohio Thunder by Denise Dowling Mortensen and Kate Kiesler captures the feeling of being a farm when a storm comes perfectly. As two brothers

play and help out on the farm, they watch the coming storm until it drives them into the barn. There they wait it out until the storm passes and the sun returns. A wonderful reminder that the storm will end and the sun will come back out.

As always, I hope you enjoy these books! You are welcome to use this blog, in whole or part, with credit to Kim Bogren Owen and Words Reflected. Please add your recommendations for additional books about thunderstorms in the comments.

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