Thunder Boy Jr.

"Thunder Boy Smith Jr. loves his dad but hates having the same name. Or, rather, he hates that since people call his father “Big Thunder,” they call him “Little Thunder.” He doesn’t want to be a little anything, “like a burp or a fart.” Brought to life with Yuyi Morales’ warm, energetic illustrations, Sherman Alexie’s picture book is refreshingly contemporary, radiant with emotion and packed with humor. It’s a loving and empowered story of a young Native American boy of today. (A note for parents: If this book inspires your child to play with Native American naming traditions, you may want to talk with them about why that can be offensive. There’s more about that issue here.) (For ages 2 to 5)"