Carle's new picture book tells the story of Little Cloud, who lags behind the other clouds as they drift across a bright blue sky. Little Cloud is too busy changing shapes, becoming a fluffy sheep, a zooming airplane, and even a clown with a funny hat. Full color. Consumable.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1‘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 that rains. Charles Shaw's It Looked Like Spilt Milk (HarperCollins, 1947) explores a similar theme. While the concept is not 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.‘Kathy Mitchell, Gadsden Co. Public Library, Quincy, FL

A minor addition to Carle's lengthy list of child-captivating titles, this lean tale introduces a cloud that changes itself into a handful of shapes. Calling upon memories of objects it has seen, Little Cloud becomes a plane, a shark, trees, a rabbit and a clown before rejoining its peers. At this point they do what clouds are apt to do when they get together: "Then all the clouds changed into one big cloud and rained!" Popping out from a textured background of rich turquoise, Carle's luminous collage art features broad, swirling strokes reminiscent of fingerpainting. As minimalist as the text, these images may well inspire kids to cast more creative glances at the sky. Although the conceit is imaginative, the execution lacks the inventiveness and extra sparkle of such Carle classics as the "Very" quartet. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)