Every child loves to see fanciful shapes in the clouds. But what are clouds really for? Here a little cloud slips away from its parent clouds and turns itself into a series of wonderful forms – a sheep, an airplane, a hat, a clown – before rejoining the other clouds as they perform their real function: making rain.
Reviews:
“With simple, clear text and images, Eric Carle tells the story of Little Cloud. Little Cloud drifts away from the other clouds, changes shape and forms different images during a fanciful flight. Children will enjoy the antics of this small cloud, and see nature from a “cloud’s eye view.” In the end, Little Cloud joins up with other clouds for a “natural” conclusion. The shades of blue and white create a visual contrast that is very appealing.”
– by BB, Children’s Book Review Service, May, 1996
“PreS-Gr1. A familiar story line involving the whimsical world of ever-changing shapes in the sky. Little Cloud drifts away from his wispy friends and entertains himself by changing into a variety of forms—a lamb, an airplane, a shark, a clown, etc.—before joining the others to form one big cloud. Charles Shaw’s It Looked Like Spilt Milk (HarperCollins, 1947) explores a similar theme. While the concept is not quite unique, the style is definitely Carle’s own. His trademark painted cut-paper collages are eye-catching and appealing. Children will enjoy the simple text and the colorful illustrations.”
– by Kathy Mitchell, School Library Journal, May, 1996
“Ages 3-5. Carle, who has been writing and illustrating picture books for almost 40 years, proves that his touch is as sure as ever in this book about a cloud and the shapes it takes on. The format is simplicity itself. Against a heavenly blue background, a little cloud transforms itself. In one spread it turns into a sheep, in another a shark, in a third a rabbit. It even becomes a clown’s hat, and then the whole clown. When it joins up with other clouds, they turn dark together, and then it begins to rain. The oversize format features textured collage cloud shapes that take up almost the whole spread. With only one line of text per spread and such easy-to-see pictures, this qualifies as a perfect story hour choice—and segues nicely into a trip outside to look up at the sky.”
– by Ilene Cooper, Booklist, April 1, 1996
