Thunderstorm

by Arthur Geisert

Thunderstorm follows the course of a storm through midwestern farm country minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, from late morning into late afternoon. As always with Arthur Geisert, it is a meticulously executed and visually stunning piece of work. Other than the timeline that runs along the bottom border of the illustrations, there is no text, and the illustrations are continuous.

Through keen observation, Geisert beautifully captures the nuances and details of a midwestern thunderstorm, from the ever-changing color of the sky, to the actions of the human inhabitants, to the reactions of the natural world to the wind and rain. America's heartland is somewhat unfamiliar territory in the realm of picture books, but in Thunderstorm, Geisert has provided readers with valuable, breathtaking insight into one of its most natural occurrences.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Nature, Juvenile, Kids, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2013

About the author

Arthur Geisert grew up in Los Angeles, California, and claims not to have seen a pig until he was an adult. Trained as a sculptor in college, Geisert learned to etch at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Geisert has published just about a book a year for the past thirty years. Every one of his books has been illustrated with etchings. His work has appeared in The New Yorker and The Horn Book Magazine. In 2010 his book Ice was selected as a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated book of the year. Geisert currently lives in a converted bank building in Bernard, Iowa.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

On each page there is a time stamp. We start at 12:15pm and the story ends at 6:15PM. We see the clouds move in over different farms in a region. There are 3 different tornados that hit during this storm that we see. Several farms are badly damaged.

I love the artwork. We see all these animals and inside their burrows under the ground, inside the buildings and homes as well. Farm life goes on. People are taking down laundry and trying to get everything ready for the storm. Then they are having to clean up after the storm.

Most thunderstorms don’t have tornados and I think it should have been called tornado instead. A lot of buildings were destroyed.

Nephew had a lot of fun making up stories for this one. He went on for 20 minutes. It was a joy to read this together. He ended up giving this story 4 stars. The pictures reminded him of Kentucky where his grandparents live.

[babyhippoface · Rating 1 out of 5]

The timeline of a dangerous storm is depicted in illustrations that are accompanied not by a story, but only by the time of day each picture represents. Honestly, I found this very confusing.

At 12:15 pm, the electricity goes out when an electrical line is split by a lightning strike. Animals, sensing the coming storm, seek refuge, while a farm family puts away hay in the barn. At 1:08, a tornado rips out trees as it moves across the prairie. At 1:40, a family takes laundry off the line. (What? If a tornado is near, you don't worry about your laundry. Is this even the same family? I think so, but I'm not really sure.)

Inside the house it is 2:25 and the family is waiting out the storm in the kitchen. Not in a safe place, just sitting around the kitchen table, even though they have a basement. And the ceiling is leaking, even though the floor above it doesn't seem to have a leak. I don't get that at all.

Next, we see the family in the red pickup truck driving a partial-load of hay to...somewhere, while another tornado obliterates a home or barn. Turn the page, and the family has the hood up on their truck, in someone else's garage, apparently trying to fix something I didn't realize was broken. (I flipped back a page and realized there had been smoke coming out of the truck in the previous picture, I just hadn't noticed because there was just so much detail everywhere.)

With the truck repaired, the family heads on down the road in seriously black skies. It's 3:51 and they take shelter under an overpass that covers some kind of stream (which you should never, ever do because it could become a flood zone in an instant, which is why they are called flash floods, not to mention that a bridge is not a safe place in a tornado anyway, whether you're above it or below it).

Two minutes later a massive tornado smashes through some building, hard to tell what, but there is a green door flying through the air. (I flipped back again, looking for a green door, but I couldn't find one. Maybe it was supposed to be the blue one from early on?)

At 4:30 we see the aftermath of the tornado, trees down, small buildings destroyed, not too bad, considering. (Hold on, just two more spreads to go.) Next, at 6:05, friends work to repair the damage done to the family's home by the storm. The roof is half-gone, the second story seems to have lost a wall, and the porch is in danger of collapsing. The barn has lost its roof, as well. On the last spread, it is 6:15p.m., and all is peaceful again. The storm has moved on, and a cow looks down on a valley with no apparent damage. But there's that darn red pickup again.

And I am left just so confused....

On the back of the jacket, where it's barely noticeable, is the explanation that the illustration on the back is where the story begins and it moves through the pages in one long, continuous illustration that would be 415 inches long if it wasn't cut up into a book. Ohhhhh.... Awesome. But I'm still confused.

[Jj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wha??? As ever, Arthur Geisert is truly an amazing illustrator. Usually his storylines do require the reader's full attention and some thought, but this one is escaping me completely. I have no end of trouble following it. The note on the back cover is crucial information which very definitely should have been *inside* the book, featured prominently in the front jacket flap BEFORE the illustrations start.

And as an aside, the front flap states that "America's heartland is somewhat unfamiliar territory in the realm of picture books". Really? To whom? It seems like plenty of picture books are set in a kind of unnamed Middle America. Is this a case of the Midwest being foreign territory to the New Yorkers who published this title? I am slightly confused by their statement.

[Amanda Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a thunderstorm, through pictures, minute-by-minute, hour-hour, as it travels through Midwestern farm country. From early afternoon to early evening, it details a storm as it transforms into a tornado and what is left in its wake. The illustrations show how the sky changes and how the inhabitants, both human and non-human react to the changing conditions.

I thought this book was pretty neat. I loved how the book really didn't need words to describe what was happening. I especially loved seeing the animals underground and inside the trees. The only criticism I have, is that it was hard for me to understand how to track the storm and where it was traveling. I had to actually flip back through the book. I then realized that you follow the red truck with the hay bales attached and what I gathered was that they are driving away from the tornado and then return to see the aftermath when it is done. I think that with all of the interest kids have in natural disasters and storms of all kinds, this book is sure to be a hit!

I would recommend this book for kids of all ages who love wordless picture books, for one-on-one reading, or someone who does a great storytime with wordless books.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the recent severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Midwest, I wondered how a picture book author would approach this subject. While the illustrations were interesting, I did not understand the story without any words-was this the story of one thunderstorm as it moved across the landscape or of a day with multiple events. I assume the former given the presence of the red truck, but how would I discuss this book with a child? I also was confused by parts of the illustrations-why were the raccoons living under ground, and while owls would live in a hollow tree probably not one open to the sky. Also hiding under a culvert is good to protect oneself from tornadoes but not so great with rising flood waters. And the final illustration of a home ravaged by a tornado which showed women cleaning up a flood in the basement as men are working on the damaged house framing on the first floor was not only unrealistic but dangerous!

[Mary HD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, this book has a truth-in-advertising problem. It is not a book about a thunderstorm, it is about a tornado and its violent impact on a farm.

Many if not most children of picture book age find the experience of a thunderstorm quite frightening, with the loud noise of the thunder and the crackling and flashing of lightning. A parent's offering of a book on thunderstorms to a child is usually a way of assuaging his or her fears of the experience - but this one will certainly heighten them.

Most thunderstorms do not result in walls and porches being torn off the house or vehicles being thrown up in the air. Children who look at this book may well be even more frightened about what is a very typical summer weather event.

If the book were entitled TORNADO, I would not be as critical in my comments. But as it is, I would not "read" it to any child.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not my favorite of Geisert's books, this one still features his amazingly detailed artwork.



Other than a timeline at the bottom of the page, the story is wordless, with the pictures alone telling the tale of an afternoon thunderstorm and its aftermath. Some of the "stories" seem unfinished - particularly this one where the twister is heading right for the pigs' shelters.



Will they be okay? We never really find out.

Like all of Geisert's books, there's plenty to keep a youngster (and an adult) occupied reviewing the illustrations again and again, looking for undiscovered details.

[Blanco Meyers · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be titled "Tornado", not "Thunderstorm".
And it is frightening. The tornado is ripping up fences and literally headed straight for the pigs and all the piglets. It has snapped the crown off the owl tree exposing the nest and the three baby owls.

According to the overleaf "Through keen observation" Geisert captures the actions of the human inhabitants and the reactions of the natural world. So why did the farmer leave all his animals outside? Why are the animals unconcerned about the approaching storm? At 3:45 the lambs look like they're laying peacefully in wait of the birth of Jesus. Is it because they might meet him soon? Is it a myth that animals can sense a storm approaching? or are these just very stupid animals?
Why are there tortoises in the field??

On the first page there's lightning snapping a power line 50 feet away, but the idiots in the red truck with two kids and a dog in the truck bed aren't worried. (BTW - that's illegal in Geisert's home state of IA and many other midwestern states).
I live in the Midwest and my priority wouldn't be bringing in the laundry when the sky is black with an approaching tornado, especially while the shingles are being ripped off the roof 12 feet away.

At 3:51 the family in the red truck Finally decide to take cover under a overpass - one of The Most Dangerous Places in a tornado. And it already starting to flood! with tree sized debris.

Thanks for the "valuable insight" Mr. Geisert.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a story without words but conveyed vividly through its illustrations. Cross sectional pictures show you the little prairie dog's burrows and the inside of homes as a tornado passes through the farmlands. An interesting look at a storm.

Ages: 4 - 7

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[Cheryl]

I have mixed feelings. Each spread shows something worth looking at (and for a child of the city or coast, something to learn about). But the timeline doesn't match the progression of the storm and the people's activities.... And if a reader wasn't already scared of storms, s/he will be now, with major tornadoes and a major flash flood in one afternoon.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully detailed illustrations. I love that Geisert thought enough about it to show two clocks with different times in the same picture (electric clock stopped at the point it lost power and grandfather clock still keeping accurate time).

[Christine Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Presents an illustrated account of a storm that moves through a Midwestern farming region over the course of several hours that is documented by a timeline and images of atmospheric changes and human response.
Subject:
Storms -- Juvenile fiction.
Tornadoes -- Juvenile fiction.
Farm life -- Juvenile fiction
Stories without words

Author Notes
Award-winning children's book author Arthur Geisert has been creating etchings and hand-painting them in watercolor for picture books for over thirty years. Geisert grew up in LA and learned to etch at the Otis Art Institute .Geisert's work has appeared in The New Yorker and The Horn Book Magazine. In 2010, his book ICE was selected as a 'New York Times Book Review' Best Illustrated Book of the Year. It was the third time that his work was honored with the 'New York Times' Award. While Geisert's books have been a big hit with children and adults alike, his work has also been recognized within the art world. He has exhibited his meticulous, lavishly detailed, hand-colored etchings at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work is in the collections of several different museums. Geisert currently lives in a converted bank building in Bernard, Iowa.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmmm. I have mixed feelings on this one. While the illustrations are detailed and lovely, I had a hard time following the story. First of all, this book seems to be more about a tornado/cyclone than it does a thunderstorm. We have thunderstorms all the time here in the Midwest, but when there is a funnel cloud involved, particularly one that touches down and causes damage, the word "thunderstorm" doesn't quite cut it. Maybe "storm" or "tornado" or "twister" would have been a better title instead.

I had some trouble following the events of the story; as other reviewers said, I believe we are supposed to be paying attention to the red truck, but the progress is lost on me. I have a hard time imagining a child who would be able to accurately follow the story either.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of us who live in the Midwest know all about summer storms and lightning and tornadoes, and so does author/illustrator Arthur Geisert. In Thunderstorm, he expertly shows black clouds building up and moving in, as people hurry to get the hay in the barn and the clothes off the line. Animals, too, scurry for cover as the winds grow strong and twisting. Inside the house, pans and pails are centered beneath leaks as the sky darkens. The tornado causes quite a bit of damage, but as the storm moves off, friends and neighbors arrive to help with the clean up. The only words in this book are the date and the time on each spread.

Originally published on http://mackinbooksinbloom.com/

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nearly wordless tale set in the Midwestern countryside. Arthur Geisert's stunning illustrations follow a red truck along winding roads over the course of the day as a dreadful storm approaches and runs its course. The only words are the time of day marked on the bottom of each page. For older children, this encourages a discussion about telling time. For all, it is a unique way to tell the story of a day. A breathtaking account of the power and beauty of a country storm. The illustrations are carefully constructed and meticulously detail that habits of animals and people before, during, and after a storm. Thunderstorm is a work of art.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still think is better since something magical happens and because it is funny. The illustrations are fantastic, but the people in this book always had the same expression on their face even after a tornado took their house down. I enjoyed it, but definitely didn't capture how devastating a storm like this can be to the people affected by it. I did show all the burrows and animals that are often forgotten when major storms hit communities.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a “story” totally carried by the illustrations which are etchings with color. Each large double page spread depicts a sequence of a thunderstorm moving across farms. The only “words” are a progression of time listed under each full page spread. I can see this title used with older adults to spark discussions of storms they have experienced. The illustrations exhibit well what farm people do as a storm approaches and during the storm. Geisert’s art work reminds me of the style of Elisha Cooper.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really adore Arthur Geisert but this latest wordless book from him is slightly confusing. The illustrations and the story seem slightly disjointed - one minute there is a lightning strike, then there are family members working in the barn, then a twister. Then, of all things, people taking down laundry!i am not sure who was the editor for this picture book but they need to take another look at what could have been a terrific book. Three stars for the illustrations, 2.5 for the story.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures are very interesting (landscapes where you can see cutaways into animals' dens). However, this is not a book about a thunderstorm--this is a book about a tornado. Very different! I picked it up from the library to share with the girls the amazing ness of storms, but a tornado ripping a house apart is what we paged through. Whoops! Won't relieve childhood misgivings about thunder and lightening that way.

[Kathy Ellen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is BEAUTIFUL.

The only text in it is the time.
And we watch all the events unfold in the thunderstorm.
Outside, inside, on the roads.
Everywhere.

There's a lot going on in each picture, but not so much to overwhelm the reader.
And I bet kids will LOVE coming up with their own stories to go along with the pictures.

Potential Caldecott here too.

[Melissa Weberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is like the 3rd or 4th book lately I have pulled from the new bin at the library to read to my 4 year old thay has no words. Neither one of us are impressed. In fact he just said I need to tell grandma (my mom and a librarian in out town) that the library needs to order books with a story. Well said son. I concur.

[Monique Welch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this is a great book to describe what happen in a thunderstorm or tornado but this actually scared my little one and my fiancé was trying to read this and describe the photos without it scarring him but as he turned the page it got worst. So beware this is only good to describe what Mother Nature do at time to a kid that went through it.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was extremely strange. It doesn't have any words except for the time of day at the bottom of the page. The pictures show a farm and family caught in a thunderstorm, then a tornado comes and wipes it all out. It seems that at the end everyone is pitching in to help rebuild. But then it flashes forward a few minutes in time and everything is back to normal. What just happened?

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins on the back cover and goes to the front, then on through the book. It is one impressive huge illustration that depicts one Saturday afternoon in July in a farming family's life when a thunderstorm and tornado hit. The only words are to show the time of day. Beautiful!

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very confusing and a little bit scary! It's one long illustration chopped up into pages. The illustration is absolutely lovely but when it's chopped up, it seems like it should show a linear story and it really doesn't. There are also tornadoes that damage buildings and scare animals.

[Victoria Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far probably my favorite book out of the ones I've seen so far. You tell the story on your own based on the times at the bottom and how quickly the book unravels within itself. The students can also make their own movie in their head based on the illustrations in the book.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strictly speaking, this isn't wordless as there are times at the bottom of each page. However, there's no narrative or dialog. This is a story strictly told in pictures.

[Danielley · Rating 5 out of 5]

No text, really, other than dates and times, but the illustrations are so vivid. My son asks me to check this out from the library over and over again. It really captures his imagination.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, with lots of details. There is a tornado in the book, which goes a bit against the title.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonlinear in a way that is kinda confusing, but still kinda cool? Reminds me of Edward Gorey.