Once Upon A Cloud (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Matt Mahurin (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Are clouds "the exhaust from alien ships/that leave puffy trails/when they go on their trips?" or cotton candy for giants or, maybe, "cushions/where birds take their naps,/resting their wings/and hiding from cats?" Walker's creative musings are engaging and readers can't help but join in the fun. Mahurin's amusing illustrations have a surreal quality that fits perfectly with the fanciful text. Colors are calming, with lots of blue skies and cottony clouds. This book would work beautifully with Charles Green Shaw's It Looked Like Spilt Milk (HarperCollins, 1947) for teaching a unit on clouds, but don't limit the enjoyment to young children. Keep a copy around for a quick mental-health break. Or grab a blanket and go outside to build your own cumulus fantasies. This book is a no-carb, guilt-free escape for anyone with a head in the clouds.–Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. From whimsical to fantastical, creative imaginings of clouds are presented in catchy rhymes and dreamy, charming illustrations. Scenarios range from predictable (clouds as cotton balls) to inventive (angels' ice cream). Richly hued and textured double-page spreads, with clever, often surrealistic details, are accompanied by embedded quatrains, adding drama and inviting scrutiny. Some vocabulary (squalls, for example) may confuse younger children, as might some of the allusions: "Are clouds puffs of smoke from Grandfather's pipe-- / or a monster that swallows / your runaway kite" appears with a picture of dark clouds, studded with kites that look like teeth, hovering over a conspicuously empty bench and Grandpa's smoking pipe left lying on the ground. The text invites participation, though it ends definitively: "clouds are just dreams that wander about." Still, this is an enchanting book, a good prelude to cloud-viewing outings, and great for inspiring individual interpretations. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Blue Sky Press (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439688795
• ISBN-13: 978-0439688796
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #774,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NOT JUST GOOD FOR THE KIDS, BUT FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE CLOUD WATCHERS, March 2, 2007

By	D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Any child, or, in my case, adult, who has ever watched the clouds on a summer day or evening will love this whimsical tale of imagination and dreams. The author certainly has to be one of those people and it shows in his work here and in the illustrations by Matt Mahurin. A little girl, dreaming, is able to see some wonderful things in the clouds. I suspect that a child would probably see more that most, but it certainly brought back memories of when I was a little boy gazing up at the sky. The book can well be discribed as "mellow" and certainly relaxing. This is a good one to stir the imagination of any child and it is a fun book to read with your child now and again and then go out cloud watching with them. The text is quite well done and as I said, the illustrations are beautiful. Highly recommend this one.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relaxing and imaginative, July 5, 2005

By	Christ Follower - See all my reviews

Reading this book is as enjoyable and calming as laying back and watching the clouds themselves. Each page presents fun and imaginative ideas of what the clouds may actually be..... ice cream? a beard? mashed potatoes? Great text and illustrations. Highly recommended. My niece loves it.