This is a charmingly illustrated children’s book featuring clouds and a rainy day. It simply and beautifully explores the wonder of cloud gazing and of the scientific names of clouds.

Would make a lovely gift for the new reader who loves words and new concepts.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced readers copy of this book.

A beautifully illustrated story of a girl stuck inside on a rainy day when a little bird lands on her window sill. They are soon on a flight through the clouds. This gives her a chance to contemplate and ask questions about clouds. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is perfect for small children.

I wanted to read this book as soon as I’ve seen the cover on the catalog. The image are beautiful and dreamy, the color fits so well. There was not of a lot of text but it didn’t more because the illustration do the work so well.

Elly MacKay has been a favourite illustrator of ours for years and this book is no exception. It is breathtakingly beautiful, wonderfully whimsical, and educational at the back. We loved it and cannot wait to add it to our forever shelf.

A dreary cloudy day and a wonderous little girl make friends with a bird and go on an adventure through the skies.

This book has extracted the inquisitive mind of children bringing philosophical questions to life providing some great opportunities for conversation between the child and the reader. As a previous Early Childhood Educator and wannabe Children’s Librarian I would definitely be happy to have this book in my hand. If the topic itself doesn’t engage the children the delightful illustrations will.

4 out of 5 stars from me.

I read "In the Clouds" by Elly Mackay through NetGalley. This book has a scheduled publication date of March 22, 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

First and foremost In the Clouds is a visually stunning book! It is honestly some of the most beautiful illustration work I have seen in a long time. I'd frame every page and hang it up on my walls as art!
The story isn't so much a connected storyline, as in there isn't really a plot, but rather a stream of conscious type writing full of questions asked by a young girl and a boring cloudy day. Some may find this to be a problem, and I agree, it might not make for a satisfactory bedtime story, but as an educator I see a treasure trove of options here. SO many questions we can explore and find answers to, every early elementary science teacher would likely squeal in delight! It's a must have on my classroom bookshelf, and would be a great option for any homeschooler as well.

In The Clouds by Elle MacKay

Take a trip into the sky with this little girl. Bored and stuck inside on a cloudy day she daydreams an adventure to the clouds with a bird friend.

This is a magical story of curiosity and imagination! The pages are dreamy and gorgeous. My girls loved it and immediately went to look out at the clouds.

Thanks @penguinrandomhouse @tundrabooks and @netgalley for our advanced copy. You have to wait a while for this one, it’s out in March!

When a little girls is bored, she begins asking questions, and that is what ended up being the reason that my kids disliked this book. They pointed out that the entire book is just questions with no answers. The illustrations don't even point to the answers or have much relevance to the questions. There is no story line to speak of, and with no information to go with the questions, they were left asking me what the point of the book was. They already ask questions about the world around them.

I have been obsessed with Elly MacKay since reading Hidden Treasure, and was so excited to take a peek at her beautiful words and artwork in her newest book. In the Clouds is an ode to imagination in a world where technology often trumps daydreaming. It is a cloudy day and our main character is lamenting about the weather to the bird on her window. She soon begins to imagine herself flying with the bird over the clouds, asking thoughtful questions along the way. By the end of her imaginary journey (or maybe it was real?), the little girl decides that clouds are actually quite wonderful. I love the ethereal quality of Elly's images, as well as of the little girl's vivid imagination. I would definitely read this story to my Kindergarten class.

I was excited to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved the simplicity of this book; the main character finds wonder in the seemingly ordinary. The illustrations are gorgeous and whimsical.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This book is absolutely gorgeous and it did a good job of embracing imagination.

This book was dreamy! So dreamy I felt like I was in the clouds! Elly MacKay creates stunning illustrations that invokes imagination and inquiry. This book also encourages reciprocal language when read together with children in a group or on-on-one.
Not only is this book a language builder, but children will learn about various cloud types. This book is a delight and perfect for any classroom or child in your world.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the digital copy.

I loved this book! The illustrations were out of this world and the little girl reminds me so much of myself, always questioning everything that comes to mind. I love the little blurb at the back of the book that answers some of the questions she asked.

The artistry in this book is magical and beautiful! Exactly what you’d expect from Elly McKay.. The story itself though I found a little lacking. It wasn’t very connected nor did it have a lyrical quality you’d expect from a children’s story such as this. It’s a child questioning everything about clouds which seems appropriate but there’s no answers or anything and some of the text doesn’t match up with what’s going on in the artwork.

Overall I rate highly for the paper craft and artistry which is the reason I wanted to read the book to begin with!

With whimsical illustrations, author Elly Mackay takes us on a journey about the power of looking curiously at the world around us. The fictional plot leads to looking at the world around us with a different point of view while incorporating science terminology. Through the journey, students could take part in questioning the illustrations that surround the main character's journey. I would encourage any educator that teaches at an International Baccalaureate school, or a school that values the power of student questioning to add this to your library for a lesson on perspective, or the power of curiosity.

The text is lovely, and the illustrations are stunning! Like the main character, I was whisked away into the clouds, experiencing every moment of wonder, awe, and curiosity. Providing the answers to all the main character's questions about clouds at the end is a nice addition. This book receives a 5/5 for sure!

In the Clouds was like floating through a daydream - you can tell the amount of care that went into each element of the papercraft that makes up the illustrations in this book. The art takes us into the imagination of a little girl, stuck inside on a dreary day and curious about the clouds in the sky.

The words that went along with the illustrations didn't blow me away. While they could spark some good conversations about the world around you to talk about with kids, I felt that the illustrations would have been better suited to a more lyrical story.

That being said, these illustrations could definitely mesmerize me for a good while!

This picture book has the most beautiful and intricate illustrations. They easily transport you along with the main character among the clouds in the sky. I couldn’t get enough of this!

I highly recommend this especially if your child is into art!

4/5⭐️

In the Clouds by Elly Mackay is a stunningly illustrated children's book about a girl who has her head in the clouds. The illustrations are so gorgeously rendered and delicate and accompany text about a girl questioning everything about her surroundings. I loved the reference page at the end that provides answers to some of the questions she's asked.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada / Tundra Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.