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Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you've ever seen a shape in the clouds, read this book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)
This is yet another great book by author/illustrator David Wiesner. This is a story about a boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. As a result of complete cloud cover the boy makes friends with a unique character, a cloud. The cloud takes the boy to "Sector 7" where all clouds are made by boring, uninspired beings. The boys spices things up by creating factastic shapes for the clouds. The boy is kicked out of Sector 7 by those beings who do not appreciate his artistic ability. After the boy is gone the clouds revolt and what follows is a delight for the eyes! This almost wordless picture book stretches the imagination and keeps you guessing page after page about what you will see next.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An incredibly rich story that demands repeated readings!,
By
This review is from: Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)
This is a wildly inventive and complex story, well served by Wiesner's artistic skill and coherence. From the textured, "cloudy" endpapers, through the carefully framed drawings celebrating the design of the Empire State Building, to the glorious burst of unframed beauty in the clouds, every detail carries part of this exciting adventure. (It is my own belief, by the way, that the clouds, having seen the boy's drawings on the bus window, come get him , in particular, to draw new designs for them. His visit to Sector 7 is no accident!) The repeated and varied use of frames, the intense architectural sensibility, and the freshness of the boy's bright red cap, scarf and gloves pull the reader into the story at a dizzying pace that feels like flying. Feel free to share it with children if you're in a generous frame of mind -- but keep it for yourself!
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Would you like to swing on a cloud?,
By
This review is from: Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)
David Wiesner is best described as a light-hearted Chris Van Allsburg. In his books there tends to be a very real and deep fascination with both the sky and breaking away from convention. For example, his book "Tuesday" examines the repercussions of frogs flying at night. "The Three Pigs", by contrast, takes a familiar story and loosens it up considerably. With "Sector 7", a wordless tale of a boy and his cloud, Wiesner tells a tale of changing the status quo. It's sometimes very difficult to find noteworthy wordless picture books out there but Wiesner appears to have an excellent grasp on this rarely appreciated genre.
When a boy goes on a school field trip to the Empire State Building, he little suspects what a thrilling adventure he's about to have. Initially, he's disappointed. At the top of the tower the world is engulfed in a thick fog. Yet out of this fog, an unlikely friend appears. A little cloud, nicking the boy's hat and scarf for fun, quickly befriends the awed child and invites him up up up into the sky. Riding on the cloud's back, the boy nears the processing station for Sector 7 (a sector that covers the general New York area with some space given to the Atlantic Ocean as well). Boy and cloud pass through Receiving and enter the Assignment Station. While there, they hear the complaints of other clouds. The assignments are fine, but they're so dull. Just the usual puffy fluffiness we see all the time in the sky. With a little imagination, the boy convinces the clouds to try out new forms. It seems they're particularly adept at the shapes of tropical fish. Of course, the people in charge of the Sector 7 plant aren't pleased with the clouds' new shapes. Yet after the boy has gone home, it's clear that his influence is being carried on by people who like the idea of doing things a little differently. Mr. Wiesner's the master of the clever little detail. As parents and children go through this book (its wordless quality makes it an ideal gift for anyone, regardless of age or nationality) they find themselves discovering new little details with every read. Did you catch the reason why the boy draws fish from the last shot in the book? How about the ways in which the clouds wordlessly describe their boredom with previous assignments? When I think of watercolors, I don't tend to think of highly accentuated details. Just the same, Wiesner has tamed this highly adaptable medium to his own particular wants and needs. He cleverly lets the boy's personal cloud continue to wear the kid's bright red cap throughout the book so that the reader can tell it apart from other cloudlings. And there is no doubt left in the reader's mind that the Sector 7 processing plant is truly New Yorkian. Resembling a kind of cross between a train station and an immaculate subway stop, this is a cosmopolitan factory if ever there was one. If you've never read a Wiesner to your child and aren't entirely certain where to start, it's hard to go wrong with "Sector 7". Understandably, many see this as their favorite Wiesner book. And while on paper I state that "The Three Pigs" is his magnum opus, I confess that "Sector 7" may be the one I love the most. A sweet and ultimately satisfying little book.
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