Kumo

The Bashful Cloud

Illustrated by Nathalie Dion
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
On sale Sep 13, 2022 | 64 Pages | 978-0-7352-6728-2
The uplifting journey of a bashful cloud ("kumo" in Japanese) who discovers the rewards of feeling seen.

Kumo is a 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 shyness, vividly brought to life by Nathalie Dion’s ethereal illustrations, is an affirmation of the pleasures of community and the confidence that can arise from friendship and visibility.
  • WINNER | 2023
    Golden Kite Award for Picture-Illustration
  • HONOR | 2023
    Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
  • HONOR | 2022
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
KYO MACLEAR is an award-winning novelist, essayist, and children's author. Her books have been translated into eighteen languages and published in over twenty-five countries. She is the author of the hybrid memoir Birds Art Life (2017), winner of the Trillium Book Award. Kyo holds a doctorate in environmental humanities and is on faculty at the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA.
View titles by Kyo Maclear
NATHALIE DION is a freelance children's and editorial illustrator based in Montreal. She graduated with a degree in design arts from Concordia University. Her work has been published around the world and has received many accolades, including nominations for the Governor General's Literary Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award nomination and a citation from the Prix Espiègle. She has also created illustrations for the Boston Globe, Dialogue MD magazine, Parents magazine and Family Circle magazine. View titles by Nathalie Dion

About

The uplifting journey of a bashful cloud ("kumo" in Japanese) who discovers the rewards of feeling seen.

Kumo is a 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 shyness, vividly brought to life by Nathalie Dion’s ethereal illustrations, is an affirmation of the pleasures of community and the confidence that can arise from friendship and visibility.

Awards

  • WINNER | 2023
    Golden Kite Award for Picture-Illustration
  • HONOR | 2023
    Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
  • HONOR | 2022
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award

Author

KYO MACLEAR is an award-winning novelist, essayist, and children's author. Her books have been translated into eighteen languages and published in over twenty-five countries. She is the author of the hybrid memoir Birds Art Life (2017), winner of the Trillium Book Award. Kyo holds a doctorate in environmental humanities and is on faculty at the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA.
View titles by Kyo Maclear
NATHALIE DION is a freelance children's and editorial illustrator based in Montreal. She graduated with a degree in design arts from Concordia University. Her work has been published around the world and has received many accolades, including nominations for the Governor General's Literary Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award nomination and a citation from the Prix Espiègle. She has also created illustrations for the Boston Globe, Dialogue MD magazine, Parents magazine and Family Circle magazine. View titles by Nathalie Dion

Books for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Every May we celebrate the rich history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Browse a curated selection of fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators that we think your students will love. Find our full collection of titles for Higher Education here.

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