This book… with its enchanting images by Amanda Lebus and story by James Low… is now available to purchase. So I bought two copies and gave one to two happy ‘cloud sisters’ who live near me…ages one and five… a perfect fit for the suggested age range …
but it’s so lovely that you might like a copy for yourself : )

It’s available from Blackwells Amazon and others… and i wrote these words the day I read it.

~ softly kissed clouds ~

Today snow falls
on wind-whipped blackthorn
and the blackbird with a damaged wing
rests on the little table

The sky’s a wash,
awash with different forms
whitish defined, and diffuse grey
shot through with opaque rays
and touched with rainbow light

This resonates as wordless poetry
like pages of the ‘Proud Cloud’ book
gently caressing anxiety
from feeling separate –
‘just me’…

…and perhaps ‘Me!’,
more special than the rest…
with flip-side – disconnected
loneliness!

The words in the book are so well chosen, few and beautifully simple. You can take them as they are or as ‘light as a cloud’ gestures inviting exploration…

as the description says
‘This attractively illustrated book invites children to see how the sea and the sun and the clouds are all collaborating together to make our bright and variegated world. They all need each other and so the key theme is that none of us is alone and we all get along better with friendly and appreciative participation. The idea is that adults read the book aloud and talk about the images and themes with the child.’

The text on the back cover explains,
Proud Little Cloud felt very happy to be bright and shining in the vast blue sky: “There is no one like me.” she thought proudly. “I’m so special!” However the eclipse of the sun came as a big surprise to her: “Oh, so it is not my own light that makes me bright!” “I need the sun so I can shine and children need my rain so they have puddles to splash in.”  “Now I’m proud to be part of everything.” [Proper pride w]

Each illustration has many fascinating details for children to explore.’

No finger wagging here, this is a caress on the cheek of the child…
I don’t know what older readers will see…maybe themes of impermanence as opposed to eternalism,  anxiety and ease, dependant co-origination, inclusivity exclusivity, joy…perhaps even the source of luminosity… : )

The final pages, of wordless poetry, are expressions of great delicacy – evoking spacious openness and calm…for this little cloud anyway! The thought…’where are the words’? … was … blown away