Thunder Boy, Jr. by Sherman Alexie
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
This book is about a boy named Thunder Boy Jr. who doesn’t like his name because it’s not 'normal'. He tells the reader that he has inherited the name from his father, (Big) Thunder, and although he loves his dad, the little boy hates his own nickname, ‘Little Thunder’. He describes his sisters' names, Agnes and Lillian, as 'normal'. The little boy begins a search for a new name that better defines him and that relates to the things and activities that he is passionate about such as his love for powwows, climbing mountains, and going to garage sales.
The book would be interesting to children because it opens the discussion about the origins of their own names and the feelings they may have toward their names. The book asks the reader to think about if and how their name describes them. The book also connects with a broader issue of identity by showing a boy in search of a name that exemplifies his uniqueness. In addition to having favorite activities, Thunder Boy Jr. is also playful and honest. Students will be able to connect with both the main character and this broader issue identity. In addition, students will enjoy hearing the book read aloud especially with the smooth and rhythmic cadence of the line, ‘I once…so maybe my name should be…’ that Thunder Boy Jr. uses to showcase who he is to the reader.
Students of all ages will appreciate the stunning illustrations, depicting larger-than-life characters in vivid and bold colors. The book also exposes students to a main character from a tribal community, to the writing the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene-American author, Sherman Alexie, and to the Mexican-born artist Yuyi Morales.
Despite this being a short picture book, the book is recommended for K-8 teachers by the keynote speaker from Hamline University’s 2017 Summer Literacy Institute, Sara Ahmed. She actually used the book for her middle school students as a platform to discuss identity. Ahmed suggested using the repeated line “I once…so maybe my name should be…” as a starter or a seed idea for a later writing piece. She also recommended this book for the purposes of an ‘Illustrator Study’ to learn more about Yuyi Morales, the illustrator for several other well-known and beautiful children’s stories.
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