Thunder Boy Jr.

Publisher's description (Little Brown and Company, 2016): 
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. 

National Book Award-winner Sherman Alexie's lyrical text and Caldecott Honor-winner Yuyi Morales's striking and beautiful illustrations celebrate the special relationship between father and son. Sherman Alexie is Spokane.

Author and Illustrator biographies (Hachette Books): 
A National Book Award-winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman Alexie is one of the most well-known and beloved literary writers of his generation. His works of fiction, including The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Reservation Blues, and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, have recieved numerous awards and citations. He lives in Seattle. Like Thunder Boy Jr., Sherman was named for his father.

Since migrating to the United States from Mexico in 1994, Yuyi Morales has created many celebrated children's books, including Niño Wrestles the World, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, and many others. She is the winner of several awards, including a Pura Belpré Medal and a Caldecott Honor for Viva Frida. Yuyi divides her time between Mexico and California.

Resource format: Picturebook

Age recommendation: Pre-K - Grade 3

Keywords: mixed media, naming, humor, emotions, individuality, grass dancing, bike riding, powow, character traits, speaking up, self advocacy, heart, communication, love, future, family, dad, mom, sister, relationships, Indigenous American,  Salish, Interior Salish, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Schitsu'umsh

Year of publication: 2016

Publisher information: Little Brown and Company