What's scarier than thunder?
(Book)

When Claire yelps at the thunder crashing outside her bedroom windows, her father appears with a specific brand of comfort. Why be scared of paltry thunder when, Falcone writes, "so many other things... are much scarier!" Dad next introduces rhyming scenarios including "a moose filled with custard holding a sword made of mustard!" As Mom bursts in with new variations ("a zombie named Lisa,/ who ate all my pizza!"), Cornell uses a full palette to portray the pale-skinned family and ghostly blue hues to convey the goofy concepts. As the stories grow ever wilder, and now-laughing Claire becomes ever sleepier, what lingers isn't fear but the feelings of playfulness and safety that can bloom amid attachments secure enough to be silly. Ages 3--6. (Mar.)

Gr 1--4--An "EXTREMELY SCARY!" storm won't let Claire sleep. Yelling "Dad!" brings him dashing to her room. "I used to be scared of thunder, too," he admits. That is, until he "realized there are so many other things much scarier." First up is a "deadly scorpion named Finn… who plays the violin." As Claire giggles, Dad insists, he's just getting started. A custard-bloated moose and a hyena ballerina make Claire ask, "are you sure you know what scary means?" Their raucous laughter beckons Mom to join in with more not-quite-frightful-but-delightful tales to share. Until finally, violin-playing Finn lulls Claire into "dream[s] of sweetness and fun." Director/actor Falcone splendidly self-narrates, effusive with vivacious rhyming fun that expands the hilarity. His tirelessly enthusiastic narration erases every hint of fear. VERDICT Easy access to both print and audio will motivate glorious read-alongs, particularly since Kevin Cornell's boisterous illustrations shouldn't be missed.

A sweet and silly antidote to a child's fear. Claire can't fall asleep after she's frightened by a loud thunderclap, so her father comes to her bedroom to provide reassurance. Instead of offering comfort through meteorological explanations or soothing words, however, he tells her that he overcame his own fear of thunder when he "realized there are so many other things that are much scarier." Though this approach could have easily backfired by introducing Claire to new fears, the scary things her dad describes in bouncing, rhyming verse are funny, not fearsome: "There's a moose filled with custard holding a sword made of mustard." While Cornell's energetic, cartoon-style illustrations use a full-color palette to depict Claire, her father, and the setting, scenes depicting Claire imagining the things her dad describes are cleverly rendered in monochromatic blues. Eventually, her mother joins in on the fun, voicing her own ideas to make Claire laugh. Some adults may wonder why there are no other thunderclaps after the first one--is the storm over? If so, why does Claire still need reassurance? And if not, why aren't her parents' playful words punctuated by ongoing crashes? Still, young readers likely won't notice--and will have a blast alongside the young protagonist. Claire and her parents are tan-skinned. Imaginative fun--and just the thing to buoy kids through their own fears.(Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When Claire yelps at the thunder crashing outside her bedroom windows, her father appears with a specific brand of comfort. Why be scared of paltry thunder when, Falcone writes, "so many other things... are much scarier!" Dad next introduces rhyming scenarios including "a moose filled with custard holding a sword made of mustard!" As Mom bursts in with new variations ("a zombie named Lisa,/ who ate all my pizza!"), Cornell uses a full palette to portray the pale-skinned family and ghostly blue hues to convey the goofy concepts. As the stories grow ever wilder, and now-laughing Claire becomes ever sleepier, what lingers isn't fear but the feelings of playfulness and safety that can bloom amid attachments secure enough to be silly. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)

Gr 1–4—Young Claire can't sleep through a terrible thunderstorm. To distract and soothe her, her father chronicles a litany of situations that are all much "scarier than thunder." In fact, each example is more ridiculous and hilarious than the next: "a snake with big fangs and uneven bangs," "the witch in the woods who tried to sell her baked goods to a goblin named Art who just loved to… sneeze!" As her mom jumps into the game, Claire can't help but laugh and join the fun. The text and illustrations work together, amplifying the energy of the story to a fever pitch. Before Claire knows it, she's so exhausted that she falls fast asleep. Cornell deftly balances reality and fantasy by juxtaposing vivid scenes of Claire's family with the rowdy imagineering of her parents in a palette of blues. VERDICT A fun romp, perfect for story hours.—Jennifer Noonan