I’ll Never See That Cloud Again: The Boy’s First Adventure

A contemplative boy gets an up-close look at the wonders of the sky in this first book in a planned series from British writer Leigh-Brown. Dismissed as “dim” by his stepfather, the unnamed boy magically assembles a towering structure of objects and buildings that lets him ascend into the heavens: “He scrambled up his toy box, wardrobe, Dad’s grandfather clock,/ the car, the shed, the house, the school, his Auntie’s office block.” From there, he hitches a ride on a passing dirigible, watching as ever-changing clouds take the shapes of various animals and objects, followed by the light shows of sunset and a glowing aurora. The meter of Leigh-Brown’s verse is solid, though the rhymes have a tendency to become convoluted or repetitive (“The next cloud looked enormous like a monstrous giant whale”). But Chilean artist Lira’s dramatic vistas more than compensate, bringing the boy’s journey to vivid, cinematic life. Is it an imaginary journey or a magical one? Either way, it shows how children can find some solace when their families fall short. Ages 4–8. [em](BookLife) [/em]