Lost in the Clouds

This is perfect book to help kids understand. The pages have a great feel and it's well made. It takes a hard thing like death and helps children process it.

“When Billy loses his wonderful mum, He’s left feeling sad, feelings are numb. But he likes to think she’s up in the sky, Sat in the clouds, watching from up high. And when days were sunny, the day was brill! His mum’s shining down and his heart would fill. When days were cloudy, he felt his mum near, But his dad wasn’t the same: eyes distant, no cheer. And days when it rained was when he would fret, But his dad struggled too, eyes sore and upset. But due to the rain, the flowers grew tall, And mum was looking out for them after all.” A wonderfully honest book about bereavement and how to find the sun on a cloudy day. Billy loves his mum very much but unfortunately she dies and Billy is left to deal with this and his loving dad. Billy likes to think his mum is up in the clouds, which is great because on Sunny days, mum is shining down on them and they have a wonderful time playing all day outside – him and his dad. When days are cloudy, he’d feel closer to his mum but would leave him feeling sad and upset and it seemed to have a similar effect on his dad. The rainy, stormy days are the hardest. He can’t hear his mum over the rumbles and grumbles of the rain and thunder. And again his dad seems to struggle more at this time too. He decides to build a giant ladder up to the clouds to say hello to his mum but his precarious construction leads to him falling from a height luckily caught by his dad who promises to always be there for him. It’s only then they notice a flower that Billy had planted with his mum which had grown so tall with all the rain and it’s then that he realised his mum will always be there for him too. Firstly, the death of a parent has to be the single most traumatic experience for any young person, and the turmoil and confusion surrounding this would cause any child (and family) to try and make sense of it, whether that is that mum is now living in the clouds watching down on all we do. It’s written in such a wonderfully accessible way for children to begin to understand both what’s happened but then how supporting each other through such a trauma is key. What I found most pertinent is how the also explores how dad’s emotions are up and down and how the death of his wife has also effected him – I’d imagine for children who’ve lost parents, the struggle of not understanding how your remaining parent isn’t the same as before can also become a cause of hurt and fear. The message at the end of how the rain from the clouds had helped the flower that Billy had planted with his mother to grow, not only let Billy take comfort that he was being watched over by his mum but was also a symbol that good times an come again. There can be rainbows after the storm. It highlights the importance of talk and being able to talk through how your feeling though a whole host of trusted adults from family to teachers and even talk to his mum in the clouds when he feels like he has something to say. Lovely illustrations bring the turmoil of the storm and the shining of the sun beautifully while the back pages include help for adults who are supporting children dealing with bereavement including organisations for further support. Bereavement can be a confusing time for any child, not understanding why it happened, why it happened to someone they know, even makes them question their own mortality which can be quite scary for such young minds to comprehend. As adults we can struggle with such awful events and parents who have to support loved ones while also dealing with their own bereavement can only be an extremely hard thing to do. This book explores this with warmth and honesty and could be a support for so many adults in a position to support young children living with grief.

I purchased this book to place in memory of someone who recently passed away. Our local library did not have a copy since it is newly published & they were thrilled to receive it. A bookplate will be placed inside to honor the lovely lady we lost. After difficult recent yrs, few families have avoided loss & this is loving way to explain or discuss this topic w/youngsters.

Great for younger children.Bought for a four and five year old.Expresses in easy terms all the emotions a child might feel around death of a loved one.

This book is stunning! A delicate and thoughtful story that will resonate with children who are bereaved. The childlike nuances are captured sensitively with an authentic depth of understanding. This is a wonderful book, I have bought three copies of this book and given them to children I know are grieving a close family member. Beautifully written and illustrated by a very talented author.