3 of 5 stars 

The illustrations are fitting for a book about children going to kindergarten. They are whimsical and very simple.

3 of 5 stars 

The writing is made to fit the original poem more than anything else, but it does lend comfort to an uneasy child nervous about a fist day of school.

3 of 5 stars 

The book creates a vivid picture of the fun and excitement of a Kindergarten classroom.

4 of 5 stars 

The kids are nervous about Kindergarten until they get to experience it. Then they love it.

The parents, however, are not as easily convinced and cry as they watch their kids leave for school. True to life, it is a fun representation of the excitement of school combined with the sadness of parents watching their children grow up.

4 of 5 stars 

The kids enjoyed the book. They enjoyed the vibrant and whimsical illustrations as well as the events they could easily relate to.

3.5 of 5 stars 

This is a book you read for your children’s benefit and not because you love its literary quality.

We like to use wipeable place mats to keep the table a little cleaner and define the space for each child. That way, they don’t feel so confined by the paper, but they’ll keep their artistic fingers to themselves.

Place one sheet of paper on top of each place mat.

Squirt a variety of colors of paint onto a cleanable or disposable plate. Make sure each child can reach the paint without dipping their elbows, shirts, hair, noses, or stomachs in someone else’s artwork. We found that we needed one palette for every two kids.

Give each child a handful of cotton balls. Explain that they can paint whatever they wish and can mix colors however they please. Cotton balls can be fluffed or manipulated and stuck to the paper as part of the painting – the paint makes a great adhesive!

Our kids were very interested in the way the colors could be combined to make new colors. I started them off by showing them how to make purple (blue and red, just in case you haven’t done it in awhile). Suddenly, they were asking about how to make all sorts of colors and shades. I provided some answers, but let them experiment on their own as well.

Encourage their work and let them explain what they’re painting.

3.5 of 5 stars 

A paragraph hidden on the copyright page notes: “The illustrations are rendered in ink, pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor. The water part of the watercolor was collected in a bucket during a rainstorm, so this book is partially made of clouds. Thank you, clouds.”

The combination of artistic media pays off, as many of the illustrations are simply gorgeous.

While some of the illustrations are among our favorite children’s book illustrations, the book lacked some consistency in illustration style. While some of these variations were appealing and advanced the story, others felt like they broke up the story a bit and downgraded the book’s quality.

The images containing isolated characters and objects are beautifully formed, colored, and shaded. They evoke emotion and connect the reader to the characters and plot. The illustrations containing more scenery lacked the same emotive power. Taken alone, they are still strong compared with the average children’s book, but the inconsistency was noticeable.

3.5 of 5 stars 

The writing is solid. There are two layers of text throughout the book:  the main story and side commentary by some of the characters. The witty side commentary (“Hi, pipsqueak!”; “That’s nutty.”; “What a cute little cumulus!”) kept our older kids interested. We find that we have to skip parts of the book to keep the younger kids interested. There aren’t really any one-liners that our kids will quote over and over, but the text conveys the story effectively.

4 of 5 stars 

During her quest, Cloudette discovers a pond that has dried up. When she dumps rain on the spot, she rejuvenates the area and brings the plants and animals back. While not scientifically deep, we like how the book teaches a subtle lesson about the importance of water to ecosystems. Edutainment! Teach a lesson without the kids realizing it!

5 of 5 stars 

Cloudette begins by appreciating her small size. But she comes to envy the abilities of the larger clouds and wants to contribute the way they do. Once Cloudette discovers that she can make a difference, she is “exhausted, but happy.” This leads her to realize that there are “other big and important things a little cloud can do.”

We appreciate the lesson of self-worth and use the book to teach our kids about using their talents to help others.

4 of 5 stars 

Our kids liked the book on the first read, and they still enjoy it when we pull it off the shelf. Our 4-year-old kept it in her bed for a couple of months, but our 9-year-old daughter thinks it’s for “little kids.”

4 of 5 stars 

We like the positive message, unique illustrations, and cute main character.

(from the cover)

Tom Lichtenheld spends a lot of time with his head in the clouds, writing and illustrating books for children. His recent books include Bridget’s Beret and the New York Times  bestseller Duck! Rabbit!, which he created with Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Shark vs. Train, created with Chris Barton. You can see all his books and more at tomlichtenheld.com.