Cute short square picture book. Would you rather be a cloud or a puddle? (March 28, 2006) ( )

I don’t remember where I first came across this book, but something about the description intrigued me. A young boy and his cat that skip school one day and climb a staircase to have adventures in the cloud…something about that just sounded magical and it went on my list of books to read at some point. I now wish that I had read it sooner, because it’s quickly become one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year with its fantastic illustrations and the absolutely charming story.

Simon and his rather fat cat Jack are running a bit late for school one day. His teacher, Missus Poe, has threatened to clobber him with a phone book if he shows up late again, so he and Jack try to sneak in…but they’re spotted! They quickly escape before getting clobbered and make their way to the roof where they encounter a magical staircase that takes them to the clouds. There they encounter a sad cloud named Perch, some nasty storm clouds, and a flock of birds that could use some lessons in manners (and perhaps some glasses since they keep calling Jack a dog.) Simon and Jack are off on a wild adventure like no other and before the day is done they help make a sad cloud happy, escape evil clouds, have a grand adventure and make it back to school…where perhaps Missus Poe might learn a thing or two.

To me this is just the perfect blend of whimsy and slightly dark humor to a storyline that makes it just right for all ages. The style reminds me a lot of the “Wayside School” series that I remember reading growing up and of the classic comic strip Calvin & Hobbes with that sense of daydreaming and wonder that we all have (well most of us have) growing up. That’s what this story captures so well, those moments when we’re bored and don’t want to have to do or obey the rules of reality, but instead have a chance to let our imaginations run wild and free. Who wouldn’t want to try to cheer up a sad cloud or take a staircase into the unknown? Crane’s story is perfect for the young and old and everyone in between. And if you don’t get at least one chuckle out of it you might need to get your pulse checked by your doctor.

I think my favorite thing about the layout of this book is that there is only one illustration per page, which just helps sell the story a bit more to me. Instead of trying to cram multiple panels on one page the reader gets to focus on the details and colors of just one panel. And what panels they are. Crane’s artstyle to me is reminiscent of older style comics and illustrated books, such as Where the Wild Things Are. The design of the characters with their simplistic, yet expressive faces are easy to capture the readers attention. The color palette chosen to me is reminiscent of something from the 60’s/70’s with the slightly faded neutral colors. Overall excellent.

Like I mentioned above this book has quickly become one of my favorite books of the year. Everything just works absolutely perfectly and that sense of wonder, that sense of exploration is something that we can all relate to and bring hope to an otherwise boring day. I’d highly recommend this little book to everyone and it should have a spot on your bookshelf. ( )

The story was cute and the kitty with the super long tail had some snappy comebacks, but the real star of this comic was the fantastic color work. Jordan has a fine tuned graphic eye which makes this book a feast for the eyeballs! ( )

An extremely fun, linear, humorous fantasy in which a boy and his cat go off the beaten path on their way to school only to befriend a cloud, anger the birds, and have a series of adventures. More fantastic than much of Jordan's work, and his line seems to have sharpened. The colors are glorious. Good for children of all ages. ( )

Quirky fantasy featuring a voyage of exploration above the earth. Lots of impossible things happen in a Willy Wonka-ish sort of way. Fun. Happy. Beautiful graphics.