Sora and the Cloud

"""The classic Japanese children’s song 'Tako no uta' (or 'Song of Kites') is a cheerful ode to flying. It is also one of many Japanese cultural references embedded in Sora and the Cloud, Felicia Hoshino’s rich, clever and appealing book. Offering both English and Japanese text, it is itself a lovely tribute to the joys of soaring high.... The nameless cloud is a benign yet mysterious and uncontrollable presence as it lifts Sora, Totoro style, into the sky. There he views a skyscraper mid-construction, an amusement park, a festival of kites and other boyish marvels. Hoshino’s intricate and delicate drawings deliver this parade of sightseeing pleasures in a way that is at once dreamlike and visceral."" ""Sora and the Cloud soars in more ways than one, and is a perfect story to share with very young ones who are starting to look at the world with wonder and amazement."" – Paper Tigers ""I loved the illustrations, the writing, and the translation. But the genius in this book is the way it portrays the passage of time....This is the perfect book for a Japanese-English bilingual family, anyone interested in introducing other cultures to their kids, and both Japanese and English monolingual families. I hope this will become a classic, it has all the hallmarks of an award winner."" - Perogies and Gyoza ""Sora’s airborne fantasy is charmingly depicted with a dreamlike palette of pastel colors. Young readers will revel in finding visual connections within the illustrations as they identify repeated motifs. They will also enjoy poring over the intricately detailed spreads that show a bustling city street and an old-fashioned amusement park. The San Francisco setting in combination with the bilingual text deftly shows the child’s Japanese American identity. Non-Japanese speakers won’t miss anything vital due to the cultural and translation notes that introduce Japanese vocabulary and enrich readers’ experience. Children will want to revisit Sora’s imaginary adventure again and again."" ""Prolific Japanese-American illustrator Felicia Hoshino makes her authorial debut in this delightful picture book...The bilingual text (Hoshino’s English is accompanied by Hisa’s Japanese translation) displays a simple exuberance that perfectly matches the light, joyful subject matter...Hoshino’s soft, Japanesque watercolors perfectly punctuate Sora’s adventure and include plenty of references to Hoshino’s native city of San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars, to name a couple)...With its local appeal, cultural relevance, and textual and aesthetic grace, this is a welcome addition for Bay Area collections."" - Bayviews, The Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California"

"Little Sora can’t stop climbing! Inspired by the author’s experiences as a mother, Sora & the Cloud is the story of a boy who lives out his ultimate day dream – floating with a friendly cloud. As Sora explores the world from great hights, we explore the beautiful dream-like illustrations. I particularly like the Spot-the-Squirrel on each page & that book’s proceeds go to the Japan Earthquake relief fund!" - Staff Review by Sara