Lizzy and the Cloud by The Fan Brothers

"The clouds bobbed gently up and down and with every breath of wind. Some were puffy and round. Others were wispy and almost-not-there. There was a parrot, a rabbit, a fish and an elephant ... But Lizzy wanted an ordinary cloud."

Lizzy names her cloud Milo. He comes with a set of instructions:

1. Name your cloud.

2. Water your cloud daily using only fresh clean water. Failure to do so may result in your cloud evaporating into thin air.

5. Clouds are sensitive and sometimes moody. Thunderstorms are possible if a cloud is unhappy.

6. Never confine a cloud to a small space.

Disclaimer: Seller is not responsible for any water damage due to carelessness or neglect.

Lizzy is so caring of Milo. They go for walks in the sun and Milo really enjoys rainy days too. The trouble is Milo is growing bigger and bigger. Go back and read rule 5. Then read rule 6. 

"Lizzy knew it was time. Milo needed to float free."

"Whenever the weather was cloudy, Lizzy would think of Milo. And if she ever spotted a particularly fluffy cloud, she would wave ... just in case."

When you read this book you need to notice the wonderful architectural details; the quirky photo gallery end papers; the rich vocabulary (gazebos, hosiery, disclaimer, orchids, tantrum, regretful, and confine); and the very detailed page with no text (a silent page that says so much and gives the reader a place to pause and consider what might happen to Lizzy and Milo). You may want to buy a yellow raincoat and yellow rain boots after reading this book and you are certain to take just a little more notice of clouds in the sky - I know I did this for days after reading Lizzy and the Cloud. 

This ending when Lizzy lets Milo go made me think of:

Laura's Star

My Pet Star

Star in the Jar

A tiny part of my soul is in love with The Fan Brothers (can someone tell them I would love to meet them one day - please). My own bookshelves are bulging but I just had to purchase Lizzy and the Cloud to add to my collection. This book should be added to every school library alongside all of the other special books by Eric and Terry Fan. You can see Eric and Terry in this video from their publisher.

Accompanying the text are stunning full-page illustrations that’ll have readers both young and old devouring each luscious detail. Some spreads are in black and white with just a single pop of colour, most often yellow. Others leap off the page with every colour of the rainbow. This shift from one to the other evokes a wide-eyed wonder that’ll keep readers fully engaged in the story. Quill and Quire

The approachable yet heartfelt text beautifully explores a complicated theme: knowing when to let go of something you love. While this concept can often be a painful one, the Fans deftly explore the fulfillment in doing the right thing for something or someone you love by allowing them to move on, and in enjoying the memories of your time together, even when they are bittersweet. The Baby Bookworm

I see this text being used interdisciplinary in reading, science, and art. It will make a wonderful read aloud! ... I’d then use the book in science to discuss the science of clouds–Milo will be a great cloud example! Finally, students could draw their own cloud balloons! Unleashing Readers (note this link has discussion questions)

Here are some other books by The Fan Brothers. I plan to talk about The Barnabus Project very soon:

Ocean Meets Sky

It Fell from the Sky

Here are two other wonderful books about clouds:

Clouds (a very old book but one of my most favourites)

When Cloud became a Cloud