What's in the Clouds

What’s in the Clouds?

Trent B. Dean

Look up at the sky on a sunny day and see the amazing billowy clouds floating by and think about the amazing things you might see. Check out the man in the story as he takes readers young and old into a world that many of us miss using our imaginations to see: What’s in the Clouds? He starts by saying that he loves to watch the clouds float by. Each cloud is special and what he sees you might not see the same way. In cloud one he sees something so cool. Look at the picture and you decide what it might be. Good for you. It is a horse as the author and illustrator brilliantly outlines the shape for you the reader to see. Why don’t you get a pad and pencil and trace the horse and make your own book of clouds adding your words to make a story of your own. Sounds like fun to me. Next, turn your head just a bit, and wow, wait until you see this special shape. How cool is this wild looking fish that smiles back at you. Next, this one is much harder so stop and look at it carefully. You might want to get your pencil out and trace the shape. Did you get it? I will give you a hint. Crick Croak is the sound this animal makes. Think hard. Do you see what I see? You are right it’s a frog. Well, we are having so much fun but we are far from done. Next, we see a reptile that many would not like to have in their back yards but up in the sky looking down might not be so scary. This could is a ….. I can’t tell you everything some things you need to read and find out for yourself. Hope you are having fun because I am and I am not bored. I am making my own book of clouds since it looks like there are some really good ones when I look up into the sky sitting here reading this great book in the sunshine. Next, we have a special animal that goes quack. But, I am afraid I have to go inside and so does our narrator. But, first there is one more animal that you might not want to see when you go to the beach but you will have to draw and trace him to find out just what it is. But, afraid it’s getting dark out there. Do you know what that means? Where did the sun go? Can’t tell you what happens but you better get inside that’s all I can say.

What’s in the Clouds is a great way to teach the names of simple animals, reading these important sight words, creating their own book of clouds and animals and just understanding the power of your imagination. Teachers can have children create their own clouds out of cotton or just draw them using a white crayon or chalk on blue paper and create their own story for our narrator. Great story and cute pictures that every child will definitely enjoy reading. Great book even for children that cannot read they can make up the story and understand it just reading the pictures. As an educator you can really do a lot with this and it lends it itself to starting a unit on clouds.

Fran Lewis: reviewer