I read this book first and then read it again with my five year old, and we both loved it.

This story is an important one, about how sometimes the world around us is just too much of everything. The noises are overwhelming and makes us so angry/ frustrated. My daughter and I could both relate to situations in the book, and when Mosom (the Grandfather) came and was talking about breathing and trying to find the calm around him my daughter loved it. Mosom takes Thunder on a walkabout and throughout the walk says "Thunder, Thunder listen with wonder..". We now do that on our daily walks around the neighborhood to just listen to the breeze through the trees, the water from the river, and the noises of nature all around us. I have found doing this helps to center both of us more. This book is a treasure and should be in everyone's collection.

Thunder is a young boy who is hypersensitive to sound. When there is too much of it, it creates a noise storm in his head. When he gets overwhelmed by these storms he gets "that funny feeling in my body and my brain feels woozy." Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's illustrations, like the one in the music room, made me feel overwhelmed by noise!

By recess time, poor Thunder is so frustrated he has a meltdown and the principal calls his Mosom (Grandfather). The rest of the children go inside school while Mosom takes him on a nature walk. On their walk, Mosom teaches Thunder about mamaskasitawew, listening with wonder. Thunder learns to focus on the quiet sounds of wind, trees, squirrels, birds and other noises in nature.

Eventually he is able to focus on the sound of his own heart. When they return to the noisy classroom, Thunder remembers his Mosom's words, "Thunder Thunder, listen with wonder," and finds that listening to his own heart helps him remain calm.

I liked a lot about this picture book. I loved that Thunder is accepted for who he is and when it's obvious he needs help, the principal gets that one person who can help him. I appreciate that while the story is told in small chunks of text, sounds are integrated into the illustrations in large colourful font. This is sure to make it easier for readers to empathize with Thunder's problem. Not only will it help other students to understand peers like Thunder, it can reinforce the need for using quiet inside voices. I see using mamaskasitawew as a model for helping all students learn to listen, not just those with similar issues.

While I think that mamaskasitawew is a brilliant strategy for learning how to deal with noisy situations, I found the timeline for Thunder's sudden ability to use it unreasonable. I can't imagine learning this skill in one walk, and worry that younger readers might think it's this easy. Of course this issue can easily be dealt with in a classroom conversation about the book.

I admire Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's artwork - especially the touches of woodland style throughout the book. It's more obvious when you look at the animals, but hints of it are integrated across the book. He works mainly in acrylics, digital illustration and screen-printing. If you've read Sharice's Big Voice, then you already know his work.

A wonderful story for kids that are overwhelmed by too much noise -- or any of us, really -- about listening past the noise and taking a moment for mindfulness.

This was a very sweet book that had a message that was great for kids and adults alike. I found the illustrations to be beautiful and the story itself very easy to follow. Some words were a bit difficult to pronounce, and it would have been nice it it was written with phoneme segmentation to help the reader.

I love the diversity included in this book! It's a good attempt to explain noise sensitivity to those who may not experience it or for kids who experience it all too often.

2.5/5 stars

When I first determined what was going on this story, I was initially very excited! We need more approachable, kid-friendly texts on being diagnosed as autistic! Alas, it doesn’t mention as autism at all. That said, the strategies Mosom teaches Thunder are good and could be taught to autistic kids to help them manage the neurotypical world we live in.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. It just didn’t grab my attention. I wanted to like it because of the storyline. I liked that they talked about something not a lot of people do.

Noise storms is the perfect descriptive term! I think we all can relate to having been in a noise storm but most of us can’t imagine being so sensitive to sounds that our everyday life becomes one. This is a great book for kids who have that sensitivity.

This picture book was adorable! It follows a boy named Thunder who has trouble dealing with how noisy his classroom and life are. His grandpa comes to pick him up and teaches him how to appreciate the noises of nature and listen with wonder. I loved the depiction of intergenerational knowledge being passed down, and the bond between Thunder and his mosom is really clear! I would definitely recommend it.

Marvelous, well written story for anyone who feels over-whelmed by the noises of life! I know there are children out there who are sound sensitive who will really appreciate this story. Losing my hearing has made hearing the simple, quiet sounds harder to hear over all the loudness, but I still love to find quiet spots just to listen to sounds I can still here. They bring peace to my soul. This story is a reminder of that! I think this book is a good read for any age. It reminds us to be still and at peace with nature. Wonderful story. I loved the illustrations of the grandfather and grandson seeking quiet together. Great lesson and image of non-traditional family. Nice intro to other culture, too!