Ohio Thunder by Denise Dowling Mortensen, illustrated by Kate Kiesler (Clarion, 2006). This lyrical, rhyming picture book brings to life a thunderstorm in the rural U.S. Midwest. Lovely sensory detail and storytelling illustrations. Ages 4-up. Learn more about the author.

Cynsational Notes

I have a particular interest in contemporary books set in the U.S. central and mountain time zones, which are oddly underrepresented in children’s literature. It concerns me, too, that this underrepresentation seems to go largely unnoticed. If we’re concerned about ethnic and religious diversity, regional should also be a consideration.