I have seen a book do pretty much the same thing before, but this probably wins that specific race. It's the tale of a cloud that learns the lessons needed to be a cloud – and the shapes it can make in the sky that make us humans think of animals – but decides that, as rain makes us unhappy, it will not bother with that. No, the waterfall can feed the lake, and the water there can get the crops and flowers blossoming. But the cloud takes the not-raining just too seriously, ruins the local water cycle, and things go from bad to worse…

I liked this for the incidental detail – the boaters having less and less depth and less and less joy, the flowers and crops wilting with every turn of the page. Cloud isn't too bad a character, either – just misguided, and unaware of what wind and sun do to things. Principally this is to be enjoyed because it's a simple narrative that IS the lesson – this is not a case of having fun or learning, there's a simple cause and effect, of cloud equalling rain, and of no cloud equalling no rain. This then isn't tuition about clouds, and about consequences in general, with some story and enjoyment tacked on. It's everything for a fine, educational diversion, and to that end it's four and a half stars, with both author and illustrator certainly to be lauded.

This book did not keep devyns attention. We will give it anothwr try but it wasnt love at first read!

Adorable and fun. Cotton cloud thought people didn’t want rain. He learns a valuable lesson in this book. Sweet, uplifting and inspiring story. Cheery illustrations. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

Cotton Cloud just wants to make everyone happy, but he quickly learns he was actually causing sadness. Every year, I do a unit on clouds in my second grade classroom. I like to have fiction and nonfiction books for students to connect with. This book is a perfect in between because although it was fiction, it had some nonfiction aspects. I do think my students would really be excited about the cloud names at the beginning of the book. Even if you are not using this book in your classroom, this is still a cute story for any child. I do think the overall message is clear and children could understand why cotton cloud did not want to make anyone sad. The illustrations were done well. They are colorful, detailed, and fun. Overall, I would recommend this book for any child's library. I know I will be purchasing this book for my classroom!

Thank you Elizabeth Hill and Rosen Publishing Group | Windmill Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book via NetGalley! This review was written voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain offers heart, information, and charming illustrations. Young readers will learn lessons about the water cycle and about getting along with others and contributing to the greater good of the community.

This is a sweet and thoughtful story that helps kids understand the importance of balance in nature. I liked that it shows how even when we do not want it to rain, rain is necessary for the Earth and all living things. Cotton just wants to make people happy, but she learns that sunny days aren’t enough. The illustrations are colorful and fun, and I enjoyed how each cloud had a different personality. This would work really well as a read-aloud during a weather unit. It gives a simple but clear explanation of the water cycle while also making space to talk about feelings and growth. A solid pick for both science and SEL connections.

This isn't the genre of children's book I usually go for, but I'm glad I checked it out. The book description noted an age range of 1st-2nd grade but I think even Kindergarten or older preschool age children could enjoy this. It would fit well in my preschool class when we start talking about clouds/evaporation/etc. All in all, an age appropriate way to introduce children to scientific terms and cause/effect in nature.

This is a cute story about a cloud who just wants to make people happy, so she never wants to rain. However, she learns what happens when there’s no rain. Will she finally rain once she sees the impact of not raining? This is both an informative and enjoyable picture book.

My elementary school-aged kids mostly enjoyed this book. I thought some of the language used towards the cloud was mean. He was trying to do his best and the thundercloud called him selfish. I thought that was harsh. Overall I liked the premise and the illustrations were great.

“Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain” is a book that is about weather. On another level, it is a book about people pleasing. Cotton Cloud doesn’t want to rain because “rain makes people sad.” Sunny days with a few fluffy clouds are so lovely that Cotton Cloud doesn’t want to change. She resists the advice of wind and another clouds to let go and rain on the people and animals who enjoy the sunny days with her. But life involves learning to dance in the rain. This book would fit with units about weather and units about emotions. I see teaching this book for children who struggle with why they get sad and mad and why they can’t be happy all the time, which compounds their bad moods and makes them grumpier.
For independent readers, this would be a good fit for grades 1 and 2. For classroom reading, this would work for kindergarten through third grade.

Jumping right into this review, the main thing I enjoyed about this book was the organization. The plot is timed perfectly, and the story is told in a way that makes sense to every reader. Another great thing about this book was how many morals were woven into one central story. It was impressive to see how flawlessly the author fit together all of these messages, while still allowing a lot of cohesion. These lessons are also relevant to the young audience of this book, as readers will learn about balance, harmony, and coexistence, which is great. Lastly, the illustrations did an excellent job of conveying time and change, which caused the story to have a greatly effective impact on readers. Bravo!

Here’s a delightful little book about a cloud that quivers at the thought of raining because it believes rain makes people feel blue. As the story unfolds, the cloud discovers the crucial role rain plays in our world! It’s a charming tale filled with lovely illustrations that cleverly teach kids without them even realizing it. This book beautifully illustrates what can happen when something good is in excess. It’s a fantastic way to introduce the water cycle to young readers! I received a complimentary e-copy of this book and read it with pleasure. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. Thank you, Rosen Publishing Group,
Windmill Books and NetGalley.
#NetGalley #CottonCloudRefusestoRain

The illustrations of this book were cute. Honestly I found the cotton cloud character to be a little too bratty and obnoxious. I feel like his pages of blaming everyone else for the side effects of no rain, along with his literally ridiculing waterfall and other's for those side effects, was not really redeemed by crying to create the rain, because it isn't that he made the choice to help his people, but that helping them was a ultimate side effect of his bad decisions. The message is very cloudy, but not in a good way.

What a wonderful book. I got my 8 year old daughters to read this and they loved it. I thought it was a great educational story done in a fun way. The illustrations were lovely. Would definitely recommend this book.

This book is going to make you really happy. The bright colours and delightful illustrations are just so sweet.

I was impressed with how well this book fits in with the primary curriculum, at least here in B.C. where we always learn about weather -- it's the perfect addition to a weather/environmental unit.

It teaches young kids the importance of rain and how it affects the environment in a fun, low-key, non-preachy way.

While Cotton Cloud definitely goofs up, it comes from the best place -- her desire to make sure all the people are happy. While she's very stubborn and won't listen to Nimbostratus, the way she finally realizes her mistake is endearing and very relatable.

I think primary kids will love this little gem.

This was a cute story that blended the science of clouds with cute graphics. It showed readers the different types of clouds and how they differentiate from each other. It also showed the importance of the difference clouds and how they tie into both rain and climate. The artworks was colorful and fitting for the scenes they depicted. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

I thought the overall lesson about how dependent the ecosystem is on rain was important and well explained. The illustrations were really nicely done. HOWEVER, I thought the clouds were unnecessarily mean to each other. They defaulted to a bullying state, and I avoid that in read alouds for the library and for my home. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read!

A cute book about a cloud that doesn't want to rain because rain makes people sad. Then the cloud realizes the importance of rain. I sweet story with excellent illustrations that sneaks in knowledge without children noticing.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

This book was adorable. First, I loved how the different clouds, geographical features, solar system items, and so forth each teach Cotton Cloud what they do, I like how Cotton Cloud wants things to go right and everything to be nice. I thin children and adults can both relate to that. I appreciated how at the end when Cotton Cloud rains that it teaches Cotton Cloud how important rain is to the circle of life, but also how sometimes things do rough or bad, but on the other side is something beautiful and worth getting to. This book was both educational and taught valuable lessons for little ones. The illustrations are hard to see on a Kindle, but what I could make out of them, they looked very nice. I would love to add this to my children's book collection or buy it for a shower.

Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain by Catherine Eden is a gentle story about grief, vulnerability, and the courage to let go—told through a cloud that can't rain. A beautiful blend of emotion and weather science for kids.