Independent Reading Level; Grades 3-5
Awards and Honors: Coretta Scott King Award

This Nigerian folktale is one that kids can relate to. The rhythmic flow makes it easy for them to follow along. The language Bryan uses also enhances the book as it speaks to a young audience. He used the phrase "uh-huh" repeatedly and often rhymed to draw the young readers in. The last two sentences were a perfect example of this. Bryan wrote, "Son Ram Lightning hears her, though, but he doesn't always listen, uh-huh! I know somebody like that too, uh-huh, I do, but I'm not saying who." This was cleverly written by Bryan because children can most definitely relate to this message about disobeying your parents. This teaches children that there are consequences for breaking the rules as well as a folktale of how the lightning and thunder came to be in the sky. ( )

The Story of the Lightning and Thunder is a Nigerian folktale about why Thunder and Lightning are found in the sky instead of on land. I liked this book for a variety of reasons. First, I enjoyed the writing style of this book. The author wrote very candidly, as if the story was being told to a young child. For example, Bryan writes, “A long time ago, I mean a long, long time ago, if you wanted to pat Lightening or chat with Thunder, you could do it. Uh-huh, you could!” The author’s use of the phrase "uh-huh" implies that the storyteller has an audience. The author also used occasional rhymes to draw in the reader. For example, she writes, “They watched the flow, the come and the go...”

Second, I enjoyed the author’s personification of thunder and lightning. The thunder took the form of a sheep named Ma Sheep Thunder, while lightening was personified as Son Ram Lightening. In the story, both Ma Sheep Thunder and Son Ram Lightening are in charge of bringing rain to a small African village. However, Son Ram Lightening often acts impulsively and causes trouble in the village. His behavior becomes so dangerous, he accidentally sets fire to all the crops and is exiled to the sky. Bryan uses Son Ram Lightening’s character as a means to help children think about their own behavior. After reading the book, the readers will think about how their own actions impact other people. This idea is stated clearly in the very last line of the story, when the author writes, “Son Ram Lightening doesn’t always listen, uh-huh! I know someone like that too, uh-huh, I do, but I’m not saying who.”
In this way, The Story of the Lightning and Thunder becomes a cautionary tale, where children are advised to think carefully about their actions. ( )

Ashley Bryan, three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winner, and six-time honoree, presents a traditional Nigerian tale in The Story of Lightning and Thunder, which follows Ma Sheep Thunder and Son Ram Lightning as they find themselves living more and more apart from humanity. First forced to move to the outskirts of the village, when Son Ram Lightning's rambunctious nature creates too much havoc, the mother and son must then live in the center of the forest. Finally, when even these measures aren't enough to protect his people, the king exiles them to the distant skyland...

Originally found in Elphinstone Dayrell's Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria: West Africa, this engaging pourquoi tale explains why thunder and lightning "live" in the sky, and why they presage the rain. Bryan's retelling reads well, and his artwork is colorful and engaging. I think I prefer the earthier tones of some of his other work - like that found in The Ox of the Wonderful Horns and Other African Folktales - to the pastel shades found here, but otherwise, this was a very satisfying book, highly recommended to young folklore lovers! ( )

I thought this book was very cute. It explains how the rain, the thunder, and the lightning all come together in a way that children can understand and find interesting. The Illustrations are cute and fun and go well with the story. ( )