Jeffrey Ansloos

Thunder and the Noise Storms is a wonderful picture book that addresses the universal stress of anxiety through an indigenous perspective. The story is about a child named Thunder who is sensitive to noise. In particular, he gets overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of daily life and the noisy nature involved with attending school. When Thunder is faced with what appears to be an anxiety attack his Mosom (Grandpa in Cree) comes to comfort him. Mosom takes Thunder for a walk, sharing with him a word that helps with the noise storms: Mamaskasitawew means to listen with wonder and Mosom teaches Thunder to listen to the quiet things – like the windsong, the birds flying, and the river flowing. Thanks to Mosom’s lesson in mamaskasitawew, Thunder knows that now whenever he feels overwhelmed, “I could still listen to my heart.” This books features wonderful art by Anishinaabe illustrator Pawis-Steckley in Woodland style that highlights Thunder’s feelings and the importance of the Cree authors’ story. We need more books like Thunder and the Noise Storms, ones that teach us to listen to our hearts, to slow down, to breathe… (altro)