Thunder Boy Jr.

By: Sherman Alexie

Narrated by: David Alexie, Sherman Alexie

Length: 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that's all his own. Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn't mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he's done, like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder.

But just when Thunder Boy Jr. thinks all hope is lost, he and his dad pick the perfect name...a name that is sure to light up the sky.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Sherman Alexie (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Echoes of Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian resonate in this vibrant first-person tale...Thunder Boy's energy is irresistible, as is this expansive portrait of a Native American family." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An enchanting and humorous picture book.... This has all of the qualities of a classic story like Goodnight Moon and is destined to be a modern classic, with youngsters wanting repeated readings." ( School Library Journal)

"Even if little one don't pick up on the cultural significance, they'll be entranced by the brilliant illustrations and Thunder Boy's rollicking determination to branch out on his own." ( Booklist)

my son k. black elk loved it!

please write more childrens books;
we couldn't get enough!
my son really related to thunder boy.

Good book to start a conversation with a kid

I got this for a young nephew thinking it might be a fun little read, and it really helped us to talk about a lot of other "feelings" that were going on in his 7-year-old mind. It opened a dialogue on family and names and parents and what he wanted to do later in his life. Had no idea it would have that effect, but leave it to Sherman Alexie to always get us thinking and talking.

A real winner for young readers

I gave this book to a six year old. it was a huge hit.

Weirdly read story that confuses my kid

The reader had very. WEIRD. pacing. AND. emphasis. The story was short and odd - a kid doesn't like his unusual name, doesn't speak up, thinks of other names, and then his dad just... changes it. Uh. Ok. If it was a Native American tribe's tradition - which I could at least discuss with my kid - they didn't explain it.

Download the Pictures too!

This book comes w/ excellent illustrations & you’ll enjoy it more w/ them (pdf in your library under title). It’s very short, I expect in print form it is a board book of the sort intended for very young children. The price is tiny too. Might work best on tablet where you could see/hear together. Too bad words aren’t on pdf so kids could “read” along.

No pictures

I bought this picture book thinking that it would show all the pictures like many audio children's books do. Sadly, it didn't. The story was cute.

not even a poem. not even a haiku.

this audio 'book' seems nothing more than Alexi probably fulfilling a promise or bet with his kid that he could read the next book. it is seriously just a few sentences. not funny or meaningful, and don't even think about getting a plot. this is bad.