Thunder Cake

by Patricia Polacco

A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time!

Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration!

Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Food, Cooking

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1990

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I’m glad that I was alone when I read this. I made peculiar sounds as I laughed at the illustrations of a cat that appears on many of the pages. Polacco draws cats so well. I also came close to crying, no surprise to me now with Polacco’s books.

This book is beautifully illustrated. The animals and people and settings are all painted so lovingly.

This is an apparently true story of how Patricia Polacco’s beloved grandmother helped her get over her fear of thunderstorms. What a creative and loving woman she was!

There’s a recipe for “My Grandma’s Thunder Cake” in the back of the book. (It would be extremely easy to make vegan!) It’s a very unusual cake, but I’ll bet that it tastes delicious, and including it was a nice touch!

I’ve been on a Patricia Polacco reading binge. She writes children’s picture books, more for elementary school aged children than preschoolers. I recommend this book for early readers and for read aloud for 4-9 year olds.

I can tell from reading her books that this author comes from a very close and warm-hearted family. They’re of Russian-Jewish descent. She bases most of her books on her own memories; this one seems to be true enough to be labeled non-fiction. On the inside back cover of this book, in the author biography section, it says that she studied in both the United States and Australia and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine art and also earned a Ph.D. in art history, specializing in Russian and Greek painting and iconographic history. I’m impressed. (From another of her books, readers learn that she didn't learn to read until she was close to her teens/in her early teens.) I’m so glad that she’s such prolific writer/illustrator because I’ve now read 14 of her books, and there are many more to read.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really enjoy Patricia Polacco's stories and so we look for them often at our local library. Lucky for us, she is a very prolific writer, so we still have a lot of her books to discover.

We borrowed this book as part of a kit from our local library, with an audiocassette and a paperback book with ISBN 0698115813 / ISBN13 9780698115811. It is narrated by the author and we enjoyed listening to the story as we followed along with the book.

We enjoyed the message of keeping busy to take your mind off of your fear. And the close relationship between the little girl and her grandmother is comforting.

We were fascinated by the chores the two had to do in order to get the ingredients for the cake and our youngest was horrified that there are tomatoes in it. Sounds good to me. I'm posting the recipe here as we will have to return the book before we can make the recipe.

This book was featured as one of the selections for the September 2011 Grandparents-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

This book was also mentioned in the November & December 2020: Shared Meals / Food-Based Gatherings discussion in the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

This book was also mentioned in the March, April, May 2025 -- Food Preparation discussion in the Fiction Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

This book was also mentioned in the June, July, August 2025 -- The Ukraine and Ukrainians discussion in the Fiction Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

Patricia Polacco's Thunder Cake

Cream together, one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated (Blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)
1 cup water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes

Sift together:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2-inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! As opposed to the usual perpetual heat and sunshine of our Septembers, we actually had some overcast weather this week and a few (mild) thunderstorms last weekend, so I felt perfectly in the mood for this book and that might have bumped this up to the five star rating ;-)

This is a fun, sweet (true) story about young Patricia who is afraid of thunderstorms when she visits her Babushka's (grandmother's) farm during the summer. Her grandma comes up with the idea to make a Thunder Cake, and distracts Tricia from her worries as they set about collecting the ingredients for the cake. The best part is why it's called "Thunder Cake" and how it has to be baked and served ;-) I loved the creativity and wisdom of the grandma in helping her granddaughter feel brave. I especially loved the illustrations (especially the calico cat! and all the Russian elements) and wanted to eat a big piece of Thunder Cake right away. The expression on Tricia's face as she is about to eat that cake is just priceless ;-)

I wondered how to do the recipe without eggs and thought about just adapting a vegan white cake recipe and adding the tomatoes. I found this one online which looks promising:

http://www.lovefoodeat.com/sweet-toma...

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco's autobiographical and drawing on her Russian-American background picture book Thunder Cake (1990) makes in particular my inner child hugely, totally smile with appreciated and equally so with sweet personal nostalgia. For indeed, my Oma (my father's mother) actually and in fact used pretty much the exact same methods Polacco's Babushka does in Thunder Cake to distract and to keep me from being frightened during thunderstorms (in Germany, before my family immigrated to Canada in 1976) and to teach me to figure out how far a thunder storm was away (namely slowly counting backwards from ten after seeing a flash of lightening and that the closer lightning and thunder were together the closer the approaching storm) as well as baking a special type of cake and just as is equally and exactly shown and depicted with and by Patricia Polacco's text and her images in Thunder Cake.

However, my Oma called what she and I were baking together in the early 1970s Blitzkuchen (lighting cake) and not thunder cake (and which would be called Donnerkuchen in German), but Oma's recipe was indeed pretty much identical to the one shown and provided by Patricia Polacco in Thunder Cake, including using pureed tomatoes (and with those pureed tomatoes making the resulting cake delightfully moist and that there also is absolutely no tomato taste, that both thunder cake and also Blitzkuchen simply and solely taste delightfully and scrumptiously of chocolate and are obviously totally the same, with very similar titles as well, but with Patricia's Babushka's cake referring to thunder and my Oma's cake obviously referring to lighting), with Thunder Cake presenting a wonderfully fun and enjoyable story in and of itself, but yes, that the personal nostalgia and memories of my Oma make Thunder Cake much more special, much more of a reading joy.

So five stars for Thunder Cake and just to say and to point out that Polacco's accompanying artwork very nicely, very successfully mirrors her text, her story and is absolutely visually delightful, is engagingly colourful as well as being full of movement and emotion, aesthetically, gloriously combining Russian folk motifs, softly modelled faces, generous white space, providing evocative glimpses of the weather and also some neat bits and pieces of Russian culture (like for example the Orthodox icons Patricia's Babushka has in her kitchen and elsewhere around the house in Thunder Cake).

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Returning again to the world of her Michigan childhood - a world that seems to supply her with an inexhaustible supply of story ideas - prolific picture-book author/artist Patricia Polacco here tells the tale of the summers she spent on her grandmother's farm. Terrified by the booming thunder that sometimes sounded during summer storms, young Patricia would hide her head under the bed-covers, and wait for the terrible noise to pass. Then one day, during one such storm, her babushka suggested that they make 'Thunder Cake,' a special treat which needed to be made, and baking in the oven, before the thunder was directly overhead. And so, in rushing madly about - gathering ingredients, preparing the batter for the cake - Patricia forgot to be frightened of the thunder, and even conquered some of her other fears...

An engaging family tale is paired with Polacco's trademark freestyle illustrations - which never seem like they should be the 'right' style to appeal to me, and yet somehow always do! - in Thunder Cake, which I would recommend to all young children who are frightened of thunder and lightning, as well as to Patricia Polacco fans. I'm a big fan of chocolate cake, and think I may have to try the recipe for 'thunder cake' that is included at the read. Sometime this coming summer, when a storm sends thunder booming down through the air...

[Cerita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent for displaying courage in a time of fear and uncertainty. It's a great book to read to children that are afraid of thunderstorms. I like how the grandmother distracted the young girl from her fear by encouraging her to do something creative and constructive. This could even give parents some ideas on how to get their child to overcome a fear of thunderstorms.



Extension Activity: I would read this book to the class on a rainy day. Then I would have a classroom discussion about having fear of thunderstorms. If there is any thunder and lightning on this rainy day I would encourage the children to count the seconds between the lighting and its thunder as the characters did in the book. Afterwards, we would make Thundercake or a modified easier version of chocolate cake if needed. The ingredients and directions for the cake are in the back of the book so I would read over the instructions and have the children help me to make it. I would bake it in the school's oven and we would eat it for afternoon snack.

[Eric_W · Rating 1 out of 5]

This a cute book BUT has the science completely wrong. The old myth that lightning is one mile away per second counted is dangerously wrong and the publisher seriously needs to print a disclaimer in each book. Sound travels at 344 meters per second (1129 feet) so if you count 3 seconds the lightning is 344 X 3 or just over a kilometer away -- very, very close (3387 feet). Ironically, the furthest away you can hear thunder is about 10 miles, so the best rule of thumb is if you hear thunder, get inside.

If you don't like metrics (heaven help you in calculating dollars and cents) a rule of thumb is to divide the number of seconds by 5. So 5 seconds equals lightning just a mile away.

You can read more at: https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-the...

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful story and in order to get the most out of it, it should be read under the proper circumstances. So the next time you see the weather forecast calling for thunder, snatch this book up and make a fun morning of it with your kids. There's even a recipe on the last page for Thunder Cake that you could all make together!

Ages: 4- 8

See which rainy day books our family is enjoying: watch my reel!

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[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet story of a little girl who is frightened of thunder suggests a gentle way of dealing with childhood fears.

Someday I'll have to try the recipe -- chocolate cake with tomato in it!

[Two Hearts Homeschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this today because of the thunder and lightning storm - wonderful book!

[Crystal Marcos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thunder Cake is a great read aloud and gave me a clever idea for the next thunderstorm here in the Pacific Northwest. I will be making my first Thunder Cake or Thunder Cupcakes, maybe even just call it Thunder Baking. I am excited to fend off the fear of thunder in my daughter's early years. She is really into getting into the kitchen to help mommy and daddy. I certainly think this book could aid with any child's fear of thunder.

This wonderful story is based on the authors own life experience with her grandmother making a cake during a thunderstorm. I really enjoy reading stories that are based on the author's past.

I have to admit that my stomach turned a little thinking about adding tomatoes to a cake like grandmother did in the story. I do not plan on making the recipe included at the back of the book but I am a bit curious as to how it might taste.

This was a selection of the Children's Picture Book Club monthly reads for September featuring grandparents. So happy it was chosen.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal response- This is one of my favorite Polacco books. I particularly like the character of the grandmother and the fact that Polacco based this story on own her childhood experience with her grandmother helped Patricia to overcome her fear of thunderstorms. I grew up with the same system of counting the time between a flash of lightning and thunder to judge how close the heart of the thunderstorm was so that makes it a special book to me, too.

Purposes
Read aloud for enrichment
- the story is something children can relate to on two levels - one is the relationship between the grandparent and the child and the other is overcoming fears (essentially the theme of the book). I think there is great potential for discussion.
-rich language: vocabulary (tons of examples so would have to be selective, wonderful variety at the phrase and sentence level that would allow a teacher to not only expose, but also ask "what do you suppose...means?"
Read aloud for curricular purposes
-introduction to a unit on the weather - common in the primary grades
-literacy elements: clear an integral setting, characters are round, strong narrative structure (plot)so could be mapped out to demontrate then use for retelling practice.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco is a story of a grandmother helping her granddaughter get over her fear of thunder. This is done by making a cake during a storm, the cake being called "thunder cake". One interesting aspect Patricia Polacco puts in the book is the information of how to tell the distance a storm is away from you. The suspense begins to build as the young girl continues to count and notice the storm is getting closer. The illustrations show the hectic activity of the characters as they get the ingredients together for the cake. The young girl was able to push through her fear of storms in order to the ingredients and become brave!
Illustrations seem to be a bit outdated for modern picture books, perhaps showing the story took place in the past. This picture book is a realistic picture book, and children can take away a lot from it. The method of counting the time between lightning and thunder can be used as well as the benefit the young girl had of getting over her fears.

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I read this to my kids when they were little; it really does seem familiar. Anyway, I'm hoping that I did because it's absolutely delightful! The story is based on a childhood memory of the author; her grandmother teaches her to overcome her fears by gathering the ingredients and preparing a cake before the storm can arrive. Sweet, poignant and funny too! Highly recommended!

And best of all, the author has written many other children's books, or so my friend, the mother of the children I read this to, tells me! ☺

[Chaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs a Babushka like her🥺

[Emily Holter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thunder Cake is a Danish contemporary realistic fiction book that tells the story of a young girl and her grandmother trying to forget the powerful thunderstorm coming in on them by making a cake. This book would be appealing to children as for some of them are quite scared of thunderstorms. The young girl in the story is also very much afraid of the storm, so children can definitely relate to her. Her grandmother is also a very warm character in the book and children can look at her just as they look at their own grandmothers. The grandmother is trying to stay positive and not put any scare into the young girls mind during the time. She constantly tells her to not pay attention to the thunder and that everything will be okay. Those words are what children like to hear when a storm passes through.

The imagery in the book is very detailed. The little girl and grandmother’s faces are drawn in with a pencil and have no color to them. On the grandmother’s hands and face, you can see little wrinkles. Even on the sheet of paper, you can see the writing of the recipe for the cake. Children will appreciate every little bit of the details and they will notice every little thing. The only thing about the imagery that seems a bit unrealistic would be the animals. The cow was just as big as the grandmother and the chickens and ducks were as big as the little girl. Children may be thrown a little off by that and wonder why the animals are so big. You can also tell in the pictures that this book is from another culture and children may enjoy seeing the different types of clothing and scenery the pictures show.

This realistic fiction book is great for kids to reflect on their lives and participate themselves in the story. It would be easy for a child to think of themselves as this little girl in the story. Any child could say, “That’s just like me!” because they will feel the same emotions as the character. Children can ponder on the thoughts of “what if” and can connect themselves in that scenario. Children will fall into this book, almost as if it were a reality.

This book has a clear setting, relatable characters, a plot, theme, and a certain style that is very easy for children to follow. The only problem they might have when reading this book is that the text is quite small and in long paragraph form. It seems like the text takes up more of the page than some of the pictures do and that may be a problem as for children need to see these pictures. This book also will grab the attention of the older adolescent child, as for the little girl in the book tends to be growing up. Being scared of thunderstorms are what younger children do, so when the older child reads this, they will see that it’s still okay to be a little afraid but overall, things will be okay and they will grow out of it. This book is suitable for K-2 students.

[Brittney Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing read for children and adults. It ties culture, food and fear together in a unique way. Patricia Polacco tells the story of her Russian grandmother and how her "Babushka" helps her overcome her fear of thunderstorms. Any child can relate to this book just based on the idea that at some point we are all afraid of thunderstorms. It ties in the Russian grandmother on her farm in Michigan and how she creatively came up with a recipe which she called "Thunder Cake". The best part about this book is that the cake recipe can be found in the back of the book. This is wonderful because after children read the book, they can take this recipe home with them to bake with their families during thunderstorms. Babushka also helps teach Patricia, thus teaching the reader, the counting trick. This trick is where you count from the time you see the lightning, slowly, until you hear the thunder. This number stands for the distance in miles away the storm actually is from you.
For students who are especially afraid of thunderstorms, this shows multiple ways to help them cope. This is a great book to read in the classroom when learning about weather or at home for parents to read to their child who fears thunder or want to start a new family tradition. I recommend this book to students K-5. The younger students will take away the lessons and bravery of the story, while the older students can bake the cake and look into the science side of the book (the counting and distance).

[Jared Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polacco, Patricia. Thunder Cake. New York: Philomel Books, 1990.
This is a book about a little girl who is scared of thunder, and her grandma who helps her get over this fear by having her help her make "thunder cake." The thunder cake calls for different ingredients that require a certain bravery to acquire. After the cake is in the oven, the grandma recalls all that the little girl did in order to get the cake ingredients, she tells her that anyone who can do all those things should not be afraid of sound.
The book itself intensely drives itself forward on the traveling of the near coming storm. It has counting which can be used to help teach children. The book also ends with the actual ingredients to Thunder Cake which can be made for the sake of interacting with the book. The pictures are calm and warm which gives off a sense of comfort. I can see this being a great book to read during an actual storm.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder Cake tells the inspirational story of a little girl who is afraid of thunder. She hides under her bed until her grandmother instructs her to preoccupy her time worrying about making the Thunder Cake in time for the thunder. Her grandmother tells her that while they gather the ingredients on the farm for the cake, she should start counting when the lightning strikes and then stop counting when the thunder rolls. She told her this would tell her how many miles away the thunder is. This is an exquisite book to teach upper elementary students about overcoming your fears just like this brave little girl did in this story by remaining busy throughout the storm. Furthermore, this story has a rich setting on a farm in Michican during a huge storm. Thus, students can learn about the time, place, and environment of the setting of the book!

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder Cake is among my favorite children's books. Not only is Patricia Polacco a talented storyteller, her illustrations are unique, realistic, yet slightly whimsical.

My mom bought this book when I was a kid. I had already overcome my fear of thunder (if that was ever a fear of mine) so the book didn't help me out with that. But I DID enjoy the cake we made. The Thundercake recipe is in the back - and it's splendid.

I got the book for a fun re-read and so I'd have the recipe this summer when the storms come rolling in.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl is afraid of the loud voice of thunder striking. Her Babushka (grandmother) tells her little scared granddaughter that it is perfect Thunder Cake baking weather and off they go to gather all the ingredients, all the while the thunder is getting closer and louder. By the time the thunder storm reaches Babushka's house, they are enjoying the yummy Thunder Cake. Warm colored folk-art emphasizes the warm family feelings of this story.

Polacco includes the recipe on the last page of the book.

I went to visit the 2nd grade classroom that I student taught in. They had spent a week reading the book and a parent volunteered to bake Thunder Cake for everyone to try. It was very yummy. The secret ingredient (ripe tomatoes) is undetectable.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I added this to my list 3 yrs ago. So glad to finally read it. Very sweet story of a young girl and her Russian grandmother(Babushka). The little girl is scared by the thunder and is comforted by the grandmother.I loved the reassuring voice of the grandmother throughout the book. They gather ingredients for a Thunder Cake and I like how the little girl faces her fears. The grandmother teaches the girl that after you see lightning you count and when you hear the thunder you stop counting and that number is how many miles away the storm is. I never knew that. I don't know if that is scientifically accurate, but would be fun to look up. My daughter loved this book and is so excited to make a Thunder Cake. There is a recipe in the back of the book.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thunder Cake is a good book about a little girl and her Grandma who is helping her granddaughter cope with her fear of thunderstorms. This is a great book for parents and educators to share with their children and students to help them see that they are not the only kids with fears. I did find it a little strange that the Grandma is using overly ripened tomatoes. One thing I really like about the book is that the Grandma taught the child to get over her fears by doing a lot of other daunting tasks like getting milk from the mean cow or going through the woods to the shed to pick strawberries. I think this book would be great for parents and educators alike. Educators can use this book starting the year by talking about how students may be a little afraid to go to school.

[Kaitlyn Skovran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco will always have a place in my heart! I loved her books and the illustrations as a child and even now as an adult. I can't wait to read this to kids in a classroom, my niece or anyone who wants to listen! Thunder Cake helped me get over my fear of storms, just as her Babushka did. My favorite illustration is of the little girl and her Babushka, with the ingredient list. The illustrations flow through the book and the text isn't too difficult to understand for a small child either.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this book for some time, that's why I enjoy rereading it every chance I get. The story of a grandma helping her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunderstorms is one which will resonate with many readers; I still get a little nervous during severe weather. As they gather all the ingredients to make Thunder Cake, the little girl is so busy getting eggs from the mean chicken, walking to the dry shed, and picking tomatoes (that's right), that she isn't as frightened by the approaching storm. I love that the recipe is included, even though I've never tried to make it.

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing like the love and lessons learned from a grandmother. A little girl, afraid of thunder, is unaware that she is overcoming her fears as she races to help her Grandmother make a thunder cake before the storm arrives. The grandmother is able to discretely revert the child’s attention away from her fears by giving her a time-sensitive task to focus on. In the end, the grandmother guides the child into realizing her own inner bravery.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for December 2020 "cookbooks" theme in Children's Books.

Only the one recipe, but a wonderful book that deserves a shout-out nonetheless.

The secret ingredient of 1/3 cup pureed tomatoes reminds me of tomato-soup cake, which I should make soon as it's so good...

Here's one recipe (not Polacco's, and not mine) : https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/n...

[Jennifer Binns]

Thunder Cake is another great story telling of family tradition from Polacco. The young girl and her grandmother prepare a "Thunder Cake" as a storm is coming in. As they prepare to get the ingredients for the meal by going into the different animal sheds, the young girl becomes less afraid of the impending storm.

[Brianna Bratrud · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Easter gift for Mary! Magical illustrations. Love the icons in the little girl’s room, the babushka grandmother, and the recipe at the back of the book.
It really is not just sweet but a truly profound little story - a great picture of the constant “Do not fear” of the Good Shepherd and what psalm 23 says: “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”

[Liz Stoneking · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a win for my little future baker. When she saw the recipe she immediately wanted to bake her own Thunder Cake. Delicious. I remember reading it as a child and enjoyed sharing that nostalgia with my own kids.