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Traditional Lit. Review: The Story of Lightning & Thunder

The Story of Lightning & Thunder by Ashley Bryan


1. Bibliographic-
Bryan, Ashley. The Story of Lightning & Thunder.New York: Atheneum, 1993.
ISBN 0-689-31836-7
2. 1 paragraph plot summary:
Long ago, Ma Sheep Thunder and Son Ram Lightning lived in a village among the people of
Africa, calling Rain down together to help the villagers.  As Son Ram Lightning grows, he begins
destroying things and disturbing people, and the king moves them farther and farther from
the village, until they end up living in the sky where they still live today. Although, Son Ram
Lightning still dashes down to earth and his mother chases him as the rain comes.
3. Critical analysis-
Set “long, very long” ago in Alkebulan (modern day Africa), this is the story of how
thunder and lightning came to live in the sky. Son Ram Lightning tries to follow the
rules set by the king, and by his mother Ma Sheep Thunder, but causes destruction
as he grows up. This tale is told using fun onomatopoeias; biff! Bam!, and “uh-uh”
sounds and lends itself well to being read or told out loud. Ma sheep will tell her son
not to do something, and he finds a way around it, so the story follows a nice predictability
and pattern. Ashley Bryan’s bright watercolors show a stylized representation of an African
village, reflecting the villagers’ homes, clothing, and landscape in batik-like art. There are
lessons to be learned in following instructions and listening to your elders, as well as a
playfulness that doesn’t hammer the theme too hard.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards-
“There is one of Bryan's uniquely vibrant, swirling, light-filled paintings on every page.”
- Kirkus Reviews, November 1993.
“The text has music and style and moves along quickly, thanks to the humor inherent in the
exploits of the rambunctious ram. This is a solid title for reading aloud that will appeal to a
wide age range.” -Janice Del Negro; Booklist
5. Connections-
Ashley Bryan Video: https://youtu.be/7REBumHUzPM
Teaching with pourquoi tales:

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