Bibliography
Bryan, Ashley.1993. THE STORY OF LIGHTNING & THUNDER. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-31836-7
Plot Summary
This is a creation story explaining how lightning and thunder went from being honored members of a village in Africa to living in the sky with their friend Rain. The book is based on a Nigerian folktale. The West African tale explains how a young ram named Ram Lightning created so much havoc with his horns that the King was forced to banish him and his mother, Ma Sheep Thunder, from Earth to the heavens. Not only does the folk tale explain why thunder and lightning occur, the moral of the story will remind children of the importance of listening to and obeying their parents.
Critical Analysis
Ashley Bryan's rhythmic prose and vibrant, colorful and engaging illustrations add to the enchantment of this tale adapted from Southern Nigeria about Ma Sheep Thunder and her Son Ram Lightning. Several steps were taken to make this environmentally friendly book. “The paper is made from not less than fifty-percent recycled fibers. The inks used are vegetable oil-based. The binder’s board is one-hundred-percent recycled material.”
Review Excerpts
Publishers Weekly “Joyful in both word and palette, this African story tells why lightning and thunder reside in the sky and not on earth, as they once did. Ma Sheep Thunder and Son Ram Lightning live in an African village, summoning Rain by racing through the mountains at the King's request. But Son Ram Lightning gets into mischief--butting people, munching on straw hats in the marketplace, and accidentally setting a fire. The exasperated King finally banishes mother and son to the sky, where they live today except for occasional earthly forays in which frisky Lightning strikes anything in his path and his mother runs after him, calling him back home. Bryan takes a highly conversational, genial tone, with frequent interjections of "uh-huh" and "uh-uh," that quickly develops camaraderie between the reader, the narrator, the spirited ram, and his frazzled mother. Brilliantly colored and ingeniously patterned, Bryan's illustrations are a playful take on stained glass.”
Kirkus Reviews “A delightful adaptation of a Nigerian folktale about ``Ma Sheep Thunder'' and her ``Son Ram Lightning,'' who live in a village where the people rely on them to call their friend Rain down from the clouds over the mountain. But Son Ram Lightning is so unruly that the King exiles the pair to a faraway home in the sky, from which Lightning still sometimes streaks wildly back to earth, striking anything in his path, while his mother follows behind and calls him back in her rumbling voice. Written to be read aloud (perhaps to a rambunctious child), with bits of rhyme and unexpected wordplay--the King scolds Lightning: ``It is an outrage at your age to go on such a rampage!'' There is one of Bryan's uniquely vibrant, swirling, light-filled paintings on every page.”
Connections
*Invite a local television meteorologist into your classroom to talk with the students about weather. Ask him/her to read THE STORY OF LIGHTNING & THUNDER, it is great for children to see other people besides parents and educators reading!
*The next time a thunderstorm appears to be headed your way, teach students how to calculate how far away the lightning is. Use a clock to determine the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five. The answer will tell how many miles away the lightning is. Every five seconds equals one mile.
*Read this book at the beginning of the year and review the school’s storm safety procedures with students.
* This is another example to use when teaching about myths and "how things came to be". The pictures are bright and interesting to look at and could be an addition to a collection for art study.
*Discuss weather superstitions. Locate other weather lore and share it with the students. Invite them to pass along some of these superstitions to their families so they can keep an eye out for any that might come true.
*Discuss with students the concepts of “prediction” and “forecasting.” You could ask questions such as “Is it possible to predict the weather incorrectly? How might this happen? Why is it helpful for people to know what the weather might be for any given day?
No comments:
Post a Comment