The Book of Clouds

Readers are in for a real treat as Latvian poet Juris Kronbergs, born in Sweden to a family of Latvian artists, has created an innovative selection of poetry – a mix of funny and playful poems that combine scientific fact and the very many meanings of the word ‘cloud’... It’s no mean feat to translate poetry and Māra Rozīte and Richard O’Brien have done an excellent job in making these poems accessible in English to a whole new audience.

-- Outside In World * Outside In World *

This cloudy compilation of poetry, art and a good pinch of humour by
Latvian poet Kronbergs, appeals to the skygazer in us all. The twenty-five poems in
this book tell a story of clouds; from how they move and travel, to how they
shapeshift and of course how they transform weather. Interspersed throughout,
Melece’s art reflects the comic nebulous nature of clouds. Impish faces
anthropomorphise the cumulus characters in different skies, brought to life by
a truly playful array of mixed media and watercolours.

-- Children's Books Ireland/Inis Magazine * Children's Books Ireland *

The delightful book explores its subject in a new and interesting way. Presented as an illustrated book of poetry, this collection is sure to inspire young readers (and writers) to think creatively about the natural world. Taking by turns, a humorous and fact based approach, these poems are excellently well crafted and present the many natures of clouds.

-- Literature Works * Literature Works *

This wonderful book about the magic of clouds is full of surprising and original poems, perfect for upper key stage two children either at school or at home. The poems are by turns bouncy, funny, quirky and thoughtful, and, being translated from Latvian, have a freshness that will appeal to those looking for something a bit different.

-- BookTrust * Book Trust *

• In this delightful, whimsical and charmingly illustrated book, Juris Kronbergs explores the appearance and ephemeral nature of clouds in 26 poems. My favourites include one in which a cloud has a nightmare about evaporating, and one where real cloud names morph into descriptive ones and then into imagined ones. At the end of the book, the author gives ideas about how to write or illustrate a poem. The annotated illustrations are great fun and complement the poems, making the book one that you can look at for much longer than it takes to read the words.

  -- MetLink, Royal Meterological Society

  
  

'It has colour illustrations throughout and is unashamedly whimsical. A
book to dip into when considering the weather as a theme for writing, perhaps,
as one can have too many cloud-related poems at one sitting.'

* NATE Teaching English Magazi