Storm in the Night

While not exactly what I was expecting, this is a memorable book on several levels. The illustrations, with the deep blues to give that stormy night feeling and just enough light to keep you feeling comfy, lent interest to the book that may have been missing without them. I did enjoy the text, if for nothing else, for the author’s use of descriptive similes, which I thought provided great examples for my beginning writer (I especially love that, “face like a crack in the ice.” I can’t get the phrase out of my head). Perhaps an overlooked aspect of the story, the just scolding by a complete stranger for a wrong and the shame felt along with that, I think is something that many children can relate to. I certainly can, and that was the part that struck me. It is an uncomfortable situation and the book gives it a nice treatment. Grandfather learns from his mistake rather than nursing bitterness toward the stranger and passes a lesson down to his grandson. It was a little hard for my youngest to stay with the dialogue and to catch any deeper points of the story. That was okay though, because there was still the surface lesson about being good caretakers of our animals, which they were able to catch. So while I think that this book is better suited to older elementary students, there is something there for the younger ones too.

I love how the story portrays this grandfather and grandson’s connection. It’s a calming story and the illustrations mirror that feeling. When the storm comes, their electricity went out. The child is frightened. The grandfather talks about how storms made him feel when he was younger. When it became later into the night the electricity came back on and the light was switched off, which I felt symbolizes that physical light isn’t what actually brings peace and safety but that the calmness can be found during a storm through a loving relationship.

This ended up being one of our must favorite books to read from our Five in a Row curriculum. We picked so many lessons from this book with more still to learn at a later date. The illustration are beautiful.

This is a sweet story about a boy and his grandfather, who tells him a story from his past. It's a great way to bring up the subject of fear, with your young children, and discuss ways to overcome them.

Storm in the Night is everything I love about this type of children's books. I felt like I was sitting on the porch with Thomas, his grandfather, and their cat. It made me laugh. It made me nod in relation. It made me wish the story wasn't over when I reached the end. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

This is such a great story with themes of overcoming fear, admitting shortcomings, grandfather/grandson relationship, and being honest with yourself. A must-have in any children's library collection. We use this book for homeschooling with Five in a Row.

Story told about a grandfather and grandson during a storm in the night.I enjoyed reading this story to my children.

This was a nice story about a boy and his grandfather. It sort of fell short at the end. We paired this book with a homeschool unit study on storms, weather, and grandparents. It worked nicely for that purpose.

The book is a wonderful addition to any children's library. The bright, bold illustrations are particularly delightful.The bookseller BuyCDNow Canada served us well: the book order arrived on time (an essential quality when you are a homeschooler who depends on such books for next week's lesson) and were in mint condition.

A beautiful story with lots of mood.

great book!