Sorry for no picture book reviews these past two weeks. Been busy with a few things, both my daughters had their birthdays, Phyllis came to visit us, and I was prepping for my 1st blogiversary! Only 3 days left to enter the giveaway. A $25 Amazon gift card could sure come in handy for buying PPBF books for your home library. Now onto today’s review. Enjoy!
Title: Cloudette
Author & Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2011
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 3-6
Themes: Clouds, Perseverance, Self-Reliance
Opening Sentences:
“Cloudette was a cloud. A very small cloud.
Usually, Cloudette didn’t mind being smaller than the average cloud.”
Synopsis (from MacMillan website):
Sometimes being small can have its advantages. If you’re a little cloud like Cloudette, people call you cute nicknames, and you can always find a good spot to watch the fireworks. But what about when you want to do something big, like help a giant garden grow, or make a brook babble?
This charming book gets at the heart of what it means to make a difference no matter your size.
Activities:
Check out Castle Library’s post which contains activities such as making a cloud mobile.
Make a Cloud in a Bottle, check this how to video.
Web Weather for Kids and Enchanted Learning websites provided cloud related information and activities.
Why I Like this Book:
This is a sweet, charming book about someone small wanting to do something big and important. A theme every child can relate to. Cloudette doesn’t mind being small, in fact there are some perks. But she feels a little left out when the “big clouds” go do “big cloud” activities. Cloudette then sets out to figure out how she can do something important. At first she is met with disappointment but she perseveres and figures out her special place in the ecosystem.
Tom Lichtenheld has done an amazing job in capturing the experiences and emotions of a young child in Cloudette. For example, the big clouds running off to do something important, or when she asks the towns people if anyone needs her and they tell her sorry they don’t need her services. Along with the text, I love the colorful, lively illustrations. My kids enjoyed reading the dialogue embedded in the illustrations (anyone know if there is a technical word for this?). I love picture books that do this, it gives the book an extra special touch.
Below is one spread from the book. Check out MacMillan’s site for more beautiful illustrations from this book.
This review is part of Susana Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.
Flowering Minds 