This was a very sweet little book though I did feel that the illustrations outdid the story itself. Whereas the little cloud's character was explored as though there was an end goal rooted in self-acceptance, the story folds its structure to make it seem as though the cloud changes forms to try & make itself loved/appreciated in the world with others which, in my opnion, felt very odd. Although I appreciated that this is perhaps more in line with the "life" cycle of a cloud, it might have been preferable to chose another subject which may have allowed the narrative to adopt enthusiasm towards appreciating who one is & what one is, regardless. I digress. All things considered, this was a nice read.

Little Cloud's Big Dream is the simple story of a cloud that dreams of growing big. She asks a big cloud for advice and the cloud tells her to float over lakes and rivers and soak up the morning dew. Little Cloud does this and is soon growing bigger and bigger. She meets and makes friends with a flower. Then she grows so big that she begins to rain. This simple story, told in verse is beautifully brought to life by gorgeous illustrations in soft colors that seem to draw the light. The illustrations contain lots of plants, flowers and wild creatures in a folk art style. This is a book I could look at over and over again, just to see the pictures.

This was a pretty immediate do not finish for me because there is almost no contrast between the words and the background on some pages and literally no contrast (white text on a white background) on some--because of this some pages are literally not readable. I could see this being a cute story so it's too bad the editor and publisher didn't take more care with the accessibility of this one.

Little Cloud wants to be a big cloud.

The book is a cute informational text telling how Little Cloud becomes a large cloud and rains to become small again. This a great beginning informational text to begin a unit on the water cycle. While I teach middle school, I plan to use this as an introduction to the lesson. I think Little Cloud will be fun for readers of all ages!

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This charming story about a cloud who wished to be bigger introduces the water cycle in a simple manner appropriate for preschoolers. But the story is also one of enduring friendship. The flower knows that no matter how much the little cloud may grow and change, she will still be the same friend. Little ones are taught that as they grow and change, they are still the same person inside.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

A cute introduction to the science behind rain and clouds. The story is fun and the illustrations can only be described as soothing . I enjoyed learning about Re and going water hunting with her.

Little Cloud’s Big Dream is a great story about being careful what one wishes for because when you receive it, it may not be all that it’s cracked up to be—pun intended with the thunder and lightning that Re the Cloud sheds. The illustrations are magnetic. I love the light parts and the even the darker illustrations were striking..
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In a Nutshell: A picture book that indirectly explains the water cycle using the story of a little cloud. Sweet story and great graphics. But I wish the intent had been made clearer on the front cover and the execution a bit fine-tuned.

This is a cute story about a little cloud called Re, who dreams of becoming a big cloud. She has no idea how to grow larger, until a friendly cloud tells her the secret: “Fly over lakes and rivers and collect morning dew.” Thus Re soaks up the water droplets, and grows bigger and bigger, and even makes a new friend along the way: a pretty pink flower. However, Re is too large to float around. What happens next?

This book was first published in 2024 in German under the title “Klein Wolke Re.” This English translation is to be published in March 2024.
The concept of the story is fabulous. But the implementation of the concept was a slightly mixed experience for me.

Through the simple idea of a cloud’s desire to grow, the entire water cycle from condensation to evaporation is explained. The graphical change in the cloud’s size and shape provides a visual aid to understand the changes at every step of the process.

The content is presented in rhythmic prose, but the rhymes are not always consistent in pattern nor meter. I am not sure if this problem is a result of translation hurdles. While the story successfully avoids scary scientific words, it still has some big words such as ‘colossal’ and ‘contemplated’. These might be tough for the target readers of Grades P-to-2 to grasp easily.

The ending left me a tad dissatisfied. The final text shows the cloud in the form of a tiny raindrop landing near his Flower friend, happy to meet again and bidding each other goodnight. The next page shows the raindrop evaporating into water vapour. However, this final step is shown only in the graphics with no accompanying text. Clever, but might be a bit too subtle for kids to understand without adult guidance.

Also, a logical loophole I couldn’t figure out: If the story means to say that Re went from cloud to rain without losing her sense of self-identity or her memory of her friendship with Flower, then how come she doesn’t know/recollect (at the start of the book) that she needs to collect water to grow bigger? Wouldn’t she have been created from water vapour even before?

I wish there had been a water cycle diagram at the end of the book. This diagram would have been a helpful aid for superimposing the changes that Re the cloud went through onto the actual steps of the cycle.

Further, the front cover should have mentioned that this is a water cycle story. The back cover mentions this in the last sentence, but many readers might not read that part. Unless you know that this book conveys a helpful visual way of understanding the water cycle, you will pick it up only as a cute cloud story. There’s no direct mention of the water cycle or its stages anywhere in the inside textual content.

The illustrations are beautiful, as can be seen from the cover. Though a water cycle story, the sketches contain plenty of flora and fauna, making every page a visual treat. The warm earth-toned hues add to the natural feel.

All in all, I did like this story, but I feel it could have done even better with a few alterations.

Recommended to classrooms and for home-schooling. While this is a self-contained story, it will work better only with adult guidance.

3.25 stars.

My thanks to North South Books for providing the DRC of “Little Cloud's Big Dream” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was sweet and adorable, and I loved the illustrations. Educational (kind of), while still remaining engaging, this is a fun story that will also teach little ones about the water cycle. The art was great, and the rhymes were fun!

First, I love the illustrations.
the story is so cute and easy to understand
recommended for everyone who love to read an imaginative story. two thumbs!

This story is more than a simple expression on how rain works. It’s beautiful … I think this has potential to be a children’s modern classic but the wording is very clunky and continued to pull me out of the story.

With some editing on the style of words and rhythm , I think this book could be a family favorite !

Thank you to NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review. This is a gorgeously illustrated children's book with a sweet cloud as our main character. The plot offers a look into how the rain/cloud/water cycle process works in a way that is scientifically sound but also very gently woven into the readable text. It's a poetic tale of change and getting swept away into big new things (scary but exciting!), so it's more of an emotional story than a purely "how rain works" description - it's lovely!

The idea behind this book is lovely. It describes the water cycle in a way that children can understand. The story follows Re, a little cloud, on her journey to become a big cloud.

The illustrations were stunning, they are very soft and inviting. I wish the words had matched that level of perfection. They were clunky and, at times, forced. I believe this was initially written in German and then translated to English. Perhaps that's where the problem is. Some tweaks to the words, and this would be a favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Cloud's Big Dream, a little book with big talent. It's so beautiful and heartwarming. Cute and poetic, informative and interesting.
What drew me first to try this book was the title. Then I had a look at the illustrations and I got wowed. I knew this was for me.

"Re dreamed of being big, like the clouds she could see far in the distance, above the wild blue sea."

I love the textures, the style is special. It's a touching story. Very poetic. The illustrations by Martina Liebig are sublime.

It pulled on some of my heart strings, I felt emotional. It's so floaty and dreamy.
It's a really nice and informative little story about the water cycle. A cycle that feeds, creates and maintains life on earth.
It talks about weather and nature. Friendship and consideration, kindness. A lot of important, essential notions.

"She soared over each type of water she found : big lakes, muddy puddles, and drops on the ground."

It's a really effective storytelling, that makes the reader go through so many emotions in so little time. Love Ixtzel Arreola's writing.

It's really cute and had a very important message, told in this story beautifully written and really well illustrated. Through that little cloud who had a dream. I really love that approach, the way which nature and science were brought up into the story.

"Hi, Cloud. How do you do ?
From dew to rain to thunder, you are still you."

A sweet read. I read it on screen, I am sure it's even more gorgeous in print. I will need to reread it on paper. Grab Little Cloud's big dream for your children.

#LittleCloudsBigDream #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth books for this early read! I was really impressed with the artwork in this book and the message behind it. I thought it told a good lesson

The story starts with Re, a very small cloud who just wants to be a big cloud. She idolizes big clouds and they share advise that she will have to absorb water from the earth (lakes, puddles, etc) to become bigger. It follows her adventures on where she absorbs her water, but eventually when she is really really big, she slows down and becomes a rain storm. I would recommend this for ages 4-6.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I enjoy in a children’s book—a fun plot that subtly teaches a truth of life, captivating illustrations, and a story that is fun to read aloud. Martina Liebig did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life, drawing the reader into the story of the little cloud. By the end of the story, we are able to see the value of a good friend who sticks by you through all seasons of your life.

So fun to read, and I will definitely be reading again with my daughter!

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

A wonderful little story about a cloud who wants to be big and what happens once she is to huge.

Little Cloud’s Big Dream is a delightful rhyming picture book about Re, a little cloud with dreams of becoming a big cloud like those above the ocean. Through Re’s journey, readers are introduced to the fascinating process of how clouds grow bigger and what happens when they become too full.

The story is a fun and educational read, complemented by beautiful illustrations and a soft, soothing color palette.

This is such a wonderful book with beautiful illustrations. All 3 of my children sat listening to this and said they really enjoyed it.