Kumo

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

The uplifting journey of a cloud (“kumo” in Japanese) who overcomes her shyness — and discovers the rewards of feeling seen.

Kumo is a bashful cloud whose only wish is to float unseen. When she’s assigned cloud duty for the day, she feels overwhelmed by self-doubt and her fear of being noticed. But after learning that closing your eyes isn’t a good solution to your troubles, Kumo pulls her fluff together and does her duties — drifting, releasing rain and providing shelter — meeting some new friends along the way and inspiring the imagination (and capturing the heart) of a small daydreamer like her. 

Kyo Maclear’s sweetly humorous and lyrical parable about overcoming shyness, inspired by her own experience as an author, and vividly brought to life by Nathalie’s Dion’s ethereal illustrations, is an affirmation of the pleasures of community and the confidence that can arise from friendship and visibility.

About the Author

KYO MACLEAR is an award-winning writer whose books for children and adults have been translated into fifteen languages and published in over twenty countries. An official member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, Kyo is fond of quiet nooks and long books. She generally avoids performing, but loves the performers in her life, including and especially the three musicians with whom she shares a house in Toronto, Ontario.

Author Residence: Toronto, ON

NATHALIE DION is an acclaimed children's book and editorial illustrator. She received a Governor General's Award nomination for her work in Valérie Fontaine's Le grand méchant loup dans ma maison, published in English as The Big Bad Wolf in My House. Nathalie's beloved puffy white dog, Gédéon, along with the Impressionists' breathtaking cloud paintings, inspired her to illustrate this book. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Illustrator Residence:Montreal, QC