Weekly Book Series: Weather
April showers bring May flowers! This book pick for a weather theme is a childhood favorite. Check it out below!
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
From the publisher:
A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time!
Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration!
Frequent speech sounds in the book include:
initial “th” (e.g., thunder)
initial and final /k/ (e.g., cake)
initial “gr” (e.g., grandma)
Key language concepts in the book include:
Sequencing: order of events that leads to them making the cake
Vocabulary: sultry, damp, drift, shudder, Babushka, fear, overcome, horizon, cooed, stammer, surveyed, strode, crowed, exclaimed, scurried, croaked, bellowed, trellis, luscious, growled, churn
Figurative Language: personification
Grammar: adjectives, present progressive, past tense, and action verbs
Problem Solving: the girl has to overcome her fear of thunder/beat it to make the cake
Inferencing: make some guesses - How is the girl feeling or what is she thinking throughout the story?
Character Analysis: the girl learns to overcome her fears
Social/Emotional: bravery, value of family traditions
Real-Life Connection: Make your own Thunder Cake using the recipe in the back of the book! Getting kids involved with making their food can make them more willing to try something new and it’s also a great opportunity for more language practice - labeling ingredients while making a shopping list, identifying ingredients at the store by descriptors like categories, sizes, colors, etc., sequencing steps of the recipe, and following the recipe directions while baking.
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