Thunder Underground

by Jane Yolen, Josée Masse (Illustrator)

In this collection of poems, noted children’s poet Jane Yolen takes readers on an expedition underground, exploring everything from animal burrows and human creations, like subways, near the surface—to ancient cities and fossils, lower down—to caves, magma, and Earth’s tectonic plates, deeper still below our feet. At the same time, in Josée Masse’s rich art, a girl and boy, accompanied by several animals, go on a fantastic underground journey. This book contains science, poetry, and an adventure story all rolled into one. But it’s also more than that: In these poems we see that beneath us are the past, present, future—history, truth, and story. This thought-provoking collection will evoke a sense of wonder and awe in readers, as they discover the mysterious world underneath us.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Nonfiction, Science, Animals

32 pages, Library Binding

First published March 28, 2017

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

About: Thunder Underground is a children’s picture book of poems written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Josée Masse. It was recently published on 3/28/17 by WordSong, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press (and Highlights), hardcover, 32 pages. The genres are poetry, picture book, and non-fiction. This book is intended for readers ages 5 to 10, grades K to 5.

My Experience: I started reading Thunder Underground on 4/4/17 as a bedtime story for my 5 year-old son and we finished it that same night. I am definitely not a poem reader and neither is my son; however, I still love this book a lot. It has a lot of poems featured of the underground. My son and I love the underground aspects of this book and it showcase so well through the extra amazing illustrations. I am in love with all the illustrations in this book! Each page, the illustrations is extraordinary than the last and it helps me to understand the poems better.

In this book, readers are exposed to variety of poems that focuses on the underground, be it bugs or magma. There are subways, ant cities, fox dens, rabbit warrens, fossilized bones, and so many more! I had no idea there are poems for kids. When I think of poetry, I think of Emily Dickinson, but only teens/adults read it. I’m glad to learn about WordSong and the poetry the publisher provides for children nationwide. This book is truly amazing and I am awestruck of how much the illustrations compliment the poems.

Poetry is like a foreign language to me. This book win my attention because it’s made easier for kids to understand. What I love second most after the illustrations are the notes on the poems, both scientific and personal at the end of the book that explain further about each poems. It’s amazing how poetry can be written around nature: magma pools, pirate treasure, earthquake, old fossils, etc. I like the poems about tree roots, to be an ant, and pirate treasure. I highly recommend this book for everyone and definitely for a poetry beginner like me!

Pro: illustrations, science, nature, underground, animals, imagination,

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to WordSong for the opportunity to read and review. Please assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book of poems I thought they would be about animals that live underground and maybe some plants. However, it was also about subways, basements, fossils, artifacts, caves, and underground lakes and magma pools. I liked its broad scope. My favorite poems were "Seeds" (in which seeds are likened to periods in sentences that make up the paragraph of spring) and "Magma Pools." Yolen includes a page at the end of the book of scientific information alluded to in each poem. I was fascinated with the experiments she talked about where scientists "listened" to sounds that corn roots and various insects make underground. Who knew? These poems will make readers think, especially if they read the end notes. Recommended!!

[RLL 220 Selena Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book combining poetry and science. It is multicultural (generic). Jane Yolen speaks of things that go on underground. Including ant, earthworms, and mole life; roots of trees and flowers. And she spoke on human life underground bridges, subways and sewers. Lastly, things that use to be old cities, magma pools, and fossils. There were other objects not mentioned in this review she wrote about, all to do with underground.

What was nice (a true picture book) to me was the illustration of the children going on and adventure but the poems didn't really mention them, the poems only spoke of the subjects they were investigating. It gave me as a reader a way to see their reactions on their adventure with words being spoken about them.

I would recommend this book for 1st-4th grade.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I see some good STEM connections, not her best work.

[Lauren Johnson]

This is a collection of poems written by Jane Yolen. The author describes the journey of a girl and boy as they explore the underground. These twenty-one poems are written for elementary students of all ages. I am wowed by this book because the collection of poems requires the reader to use their imagination while the characters uncover fossils, subways, ancient cities and many more things underground. In addition to the poems the author has also included notes on poem that describe the science topics further. The book describes the past, present, and future that are found underground in the poems. The illustrations aid in the understanding of the poems. Most science topics are only written about in nonfiction texts. This poetry is able to describe specific scientific topics through poetry. Teachers can use this collection of poems to introduce different science topics. The illustrations will help students to gain a better understanding of the science content. The concept of using poetry to teach core topics can help readers to not feel as overwhelmed with content as they would if they were reading nonfiction text. I look forward to using this as a main reference with my students when teaching science.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read these fun poems about the 'underground' for our B&R-1st curriculum's science unit on Tectonic plates and earthquakes!

[MeganM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yolen, Jane. Thunder Underground (2017). Accessed on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VrMj...

This is a captivating children's picture book that explores the hidden wonders beneath our feet. With poetic language, Yolen takes young readers on a journey into the Earth, unveiling the mysteries of burrowing animals and the secrets that lie beneath the surface. From insects to mammals, the book celebrates the diversity of creatures that inhabit the underground world. Masse's vibrant and expressive illustrations complement the text beautifully, bringing the subterranean landscapes to life. "Thunder Underground" not only educates children about the fascinating ecosystems beneath the soil but also encourages a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world. The combination of Yolen's evocative prose and Masse's delightful artwork makes this book a delightful and educational read for young audiences.

I would recommend this book for children in preschool to early elementary. It is an engaging narrative and vivid illustrations cater to the curiosity and imagination of younger readers. A lesson a teacher can emphasize using "Thunder Underground" is the concept of resilience and adaptability. The book showcases a variety of animals that have adapted to live in the underground, facing challenges such as darkness and limited space. Teachers can use these examples to discuss with students how animals, and by extension people, demonstrate resilience by adapting to their surroundings and finding ways to thrive in different environments. This lesson encourages students to embrace change, view challenges as opportunities for growth, and develop a resilient mindset in the face of adversity. It also opens up discussions about the importance of adaptability in various aspects of life, fostering a positive and proactive approach to overcoming obstacles.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very hit or miss. Some poems are great, like "Seeds":

This dot,
this spot,
this period at the end
of winter's sentence
writes its way up
through the dull slate of soil
into the paragraph of spring.

Others, like the title poem, are a mishmash of words trying to rhyme.

Some use very adult language, like "Under the City: Two Views."

Here in the black places of the world,
lie the noisy skirls of change:
lacings of pipes, snorkeling sewers,
skewers of bridge footings.

Others are just juvenile sing-song.

[Lyndsey Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is about what all lives under us, or "underground". "Thunder Underground" is a story written using multiple forms of poems, and therefore would be considered a part of the poetry genre. It is an appropriate book to use for grades three and four because it would be a little too simple for grades older than this, I think. One way I would use this in my future classroom is as a read-aloud to introduce students to a unit on poetry. It would be a great way to engage the students in the material at hand and introduce them to multiple forms of poetry at the beginning of the lesson. Another way I could see myself using this in my future classroom is as an individual reading book or a book to be read during Daily 5 because students could read it independently or with a group, and this would expose them to poetry through a really interesting book/story. In addition, I could see myself using it as an aid to help students who are struggling with poetry (understanding it or writing it) because it is an engaging book, is relatively simple to read, and could be used to point out different types of poetry to students. I chose to use this as one of my WOW books because it is a really cute story that gives the background information to readers about what is "underground" and also uses different types of poetry to tell the story.

[Darcie Caswell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overarching theme of this book of poems is life underground: tree roots, burrowing animals, even the subway. But it feels disjointed. Perhaps that is because the author doesn't present a strong enough vision in the first two poems of where the rest of the book (and the rest of the poems) will take us. Perhaps that is because the transitions and ties between the poems is weak and not explained very well. For a children's book, the theme of "underground" and the connections between the various poems and how they support the overall theme need to be drawn more explicitly. Yes, all the poems deal with things and life underground, but I wanted more to tie it together. One major error is with the subway pages, which feel like they were just plunked down in the middle of the book, right between poems about moles and tree roots, with nothing to tie them into the progress or progression of the poems.

Grades K-2

[Tamya Crenshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the message of this book was portrayed was creative. The overall summary of the book was that while we can not always see the things that are happening below us, there will always be something taking place underground. Whether it is just tree roots, beetles or moles, seeds for growing crops, fossils, buried treasure, or even just subways. All of the things that take place underground led to a greater existence of where life started and where it will end. Because below everything is the heart of the earth. All of the poems in the book came together to tell that story. The story of everything coming together and something always happening that leads us to the heart of the earth. I think that this was executed in a beautiful way. The poems all have extremely detailed illustrations that go with them. Since each poem has a different topic, the illustrations change with them. The illustrations are spot-on with the topic. One poem in the book was about basements and the illustration that went along with that had typical things you would find in a basement but the way the shading and placement of objects are in the illustration kind of draw your eyes to what should be focused on. All of the illustrations have multiple focus points. You have the option of looking at multiple objects in the illustration and them having their own level of importance to that poem. The illustrations work together with the poem and help the story that is being told.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yolen, Jane Thunder Underground Illustrated by Josee Masse PICTURE BOOK Wordsong, 2017. $17.95 Content: G.

This is a collection of poems that have to do with the word “under”. Some of the poems are about insects or animals that live underground, roots, lava or other natural elements. And some of the poems are about people underground in subways, tunnels, and archaeology. There are also poems about things that are buried underground such as treasure, fossils and caves. The last poem has two kids sitting under the night sky.

This is a great book of poetry that also feeds the curiosity of young readers and the world beneath them. The poems have interesting facts and at the end of the book there is a key that explains more about what scientists know of those underground worlds. The illustrations are well done and my kids loved this book.

EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never really been a fan of poetry but I did kind of enjoy Yolen's book because it had pictures to accompany the text. I also liked the overall idea that all the poems were related to (what lives and is happening underground). She really encapsulated a lot of different forms and ideas that go on underground. She writes about animal houses in the tree roots and in the deep-dirt, fossils stuck in thousand year-old magma, caves that animals and insects thrive in, different forms of plants like seeds and roots, or tiny animals like worms, ants, and moles.

My favorite thing about this book was how she interconnected almost everything in this book. However, I feel like the poetry and text may be a little too sophisticated for younger ages (who picture books are mainly aimed at) so I feel like they would just pay attention to the pictures.

[Maddy Hurlbut · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.Elements of poetry and its teaching practice
•Meaning
•Passion/emotion
•Sensory images
•Rhythm
•Form
oRhyme or free verse
oLine breaks/white spaces
oShape/concrete
oTwo Voices
•Billy Collins: reader response theory in poetry  Respond naturally
•Added value of poetry: enjoyment, reading fluency, learn how the language works, remember the content of the poem, develop speaking ability, increase writing skill, identify the essence of a subject, observe how writers use structures and frameworks, develop vocabulary
•Poetry in the classroom
oGet an anthology to give your students variety
oCombination of professional books and poetry (how to set up poetry units, a guide for young poetry writers etc.)  Let the experts do the teaching here
oThemed poetry books: Thunder Underground
oPicture Books that make a whole picture book about 1 poem: Knock Knock

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder Underground by Jane Yolen
Imagine the Moon by Gerald Fierst

Sometimes we all, even the grownups, need a comforting bedtime book, and I read these two on successive evenings. I thoroughly enjoyed the blending of facts, poetic imagery, and beautiful illustrations. There is much of interest under the surface of our earth and in the movements and makeup of our moon. I learned many things my years of schooling hadn’t taught me, including the right-to-left waxing and waning of the moon and the important work of worms. Perhaps more lessons should be taught with such creativity, poetry, and pleasure. Serendipitous pairing of books, though I have a feeling the authors, if not already friends, would be . . .

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of poems about things that are found underground (from bugs & worms to magma to subways...)
Usually I break up readings of poems over multiple days, and this book could easily be broken up into multiple readings since there are a variety of subjects (even though "underground" is the common theme).
The art is beautiful.
The kids enjoyed it.

Good for elementary students studying poetry, and preschoolers who like to learn about things underground.

This is also a good book to read to infants (even if it's only a poem at a time.) Hearing a variety of vocabulary is good for baby brain development, and these poems have varied vocabulary and fun sounds. No, the baby might not understand what you're talking about when you're reading this book, but that's okay!

[Marci Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a really fun book to incorporate into a poetry unit. It could easily be integrated into science as well, as all of the poems stick to the theme of underground, and a lot of the content is science related. The book from cover to cover describes one adventure of two kids, but through a series of poems. These poems are all different, with all different types of poetry. Some rhyme, some have unique form, some are long, while others are short. This book emphasizes that poetry can take many different shapes and sizes, while all still hold meaning and passion. The illustrations that go along with the poems are very fun as well.
a. Author: Jane Yolen
b. Illustrator: Josee Masse
c. Publisher: Wordsong
d. Date: 2017
e. Genre: Poetry, Picture Book

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice celebration/combination of poetry and science for young children. I generally would say that this is a nature-based poetry book; however, since it covers the subject of "things underground" in general it not only covers fox dens and ant cities but also subways and buried pirate treasure. It all does a beautiful job appealing to the imagination of the child. The poems are rhyming and evoke wonder and whimsy. The illustrations are full-page color features of each poem and do a really great job holding a child's interest. I also think this is an accessible book for a range of ages. Love it!

**Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Astra Books for Young Readers. Opinions are my own.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how Yolen has covered every underground item: worms, subway, caves, etc. The poems are clever too. The one negative is that there are references that youngsters won't understand, such as "Atilla and his hordes". There are explanations in the back, but it doesn't exactly work for a child to flip back and forth from poem to explanation to understand what he/she is reading. Though the target audience is young children, the vocabulary is at a higher level so some students may need assistance. Overall, a nice poetry book.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Yolen consistently writes books of wonder and joy. The poems in this book all celebrate the earth and the things found under the surface like roots, subways, archeological finds, and lava just to name a few. Each one is infused with science and wonder and allows us to think about the "underneath" of things in a different way. Finally, at the back of the book are wonderful notes from Jane Yolen about each poem. It could be why she wrote it, what she learned, or something special about the words. This is a great poetry book for the classroom.

[Madison Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talks about all the amazing wonders that happen underground, like tree roots, fossils, tectonic plates, magma pools, and underground rivers. The illustrations throughout the book are colorful and very detailed. I would use this book in my classroom by introducing the science lesson on magma with the poem about magma or begin with the seed poem before talking about seeds and plants. I think this would be a good book to hook students on learning more about the topics the poems are about.

[April Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of poems that take place underground- for example, the garden, the basement, the subway, buried treasure etc. This would be a fun addition to any children's poetry collection and could also be a fun way to use poetry in a classroom.

One of my favorites:
SEEDS
This dot,
this spot,
this period at the end
of winter's sentence
writes its way up
through the dull slate of soil
into the paragraph of spring.

[Micha O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Yolen is at it again with her golden pen in this collection of poems. Yolen explores the world, both natural and man-made that lies underfoot. She uses various forms of poetry to touch on plant anatomy, insects, transportation, and history with this collective theme. My personal favorites were "Subway" and "Lost City." Poems are accompanied by mixed media illustrations by Masse, the French Canadian artist responsible for the lovely Mirror Mirror.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful series of poems (rhymed/traditional) each of which explores ana aspect f the busy-ness under our feet. Most reflect nature (animals, plants) but also includes other manufactured underground elements (subway, buried treasure, etc.). This almost feels like overreach in terms of the range of topics, but would pair well with other more narrowly- focused titles about what is going on under our feet. Back matter is useful.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of poems about so many things underground. But some of these poems I got truly lost on, or confused over. And others, while interesting, made me worried that readers with limited information might not realize a fuller view of things. (For examples--moles. Great that they eat earthworms and not your actual garden, but they can wreak much damage to a gardener who needs those earthworms. Or the tunnels causing damage to yards.)

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exploring all the different ways to explore the underground, this is an engaging group of poems. Some might say the the language at times is a bit beyond the reader, but only if you don't take the time to explain what a word means. My only criticism is that sometimes transitions are a bit sudden, so it's not a linear journey for these kids. Do we need one, though? Hopefully I'll be able to read this with a group soon.

[Lauren Krebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a collection of poems that talked about nature and the world around us. It specifically alternated between talking about things that take place above and below the Earth's surface. I want to mention that the illustrations within this book were incredible. If you read this book to third and forth graders and they still didn't understand the poem, they could look at the illustrations and get an idea of what the poem is about.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features a collection of poems about what is found underground. The book explores many possibilities such as fossils and subways. This book would be a great way to study poetry around grades 3-6. The poems explore many different things, especially with animals and nature. This could be used to learn about poetry and how they are structured as well as some facts about different things underground.

[Kathleen Vincent]

This book is a collection of poems that have the same overarching theme- the underground world. Some of the poem titles include Under the House, Seeds, Oh to be an Ant, Earthworm, Subway, Corny Conversations, etc.

I use this text with my students to explore the different elements that authors can (but are not required to) use when writing poems, including rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and alliteration.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of poetry about what goes on underground. From animal burrows to tree roots, from fossils to magma, Yolen covers a range of activity beneath our very feet. I would recommend this to teachers working on earth and rock units (fossils, volcanoes, earthquakes, caves) or nature (seeds, roots, worms, ants, moles). Very cool connections! Recommended for 2nd and 3rd grade.