Grandfather's lively recollections about his own childhood fear of a storm occupies young Thomas' attention during an electrical power failure and helps Thomas to overcome his worries. A visual story-within-a-story assists readers with the flashbacks. Cummings' ability to challenge the eye with color and perspective is as effective as her portrayal of this African-American grandfather and grandson on a summer night in the rain-drenched neighborhood of their single family home. (Ages 4-8)

Storm in the night.
Thunder like mountains blowing up.
Lightning licking the navy-blue sky.
Rain streaming down the windows,
babbling in the downspouts.
And Grandfather? . . .
And Thomas? . . .
And Ringo, the cat?
They were in the dark.

Too early to go to bed, and with only flashes of lightning to see by, Thomas and his grandfather happily find themselves re-discovering the half-forgotten scents and sounds of their world, and having a wonderful time learning important, new things about each other in a spirited conversation sparked by darkness.

Mary Stolz and Pat Cummings have each brought their unique talents to this lyrical tale about a magical, stormy night and a special relationship.