A charming, brave and joyous book fell into my hands as though it dropped from the sky. Have you ever consider where the beautiful, fluffy clouds actually come from? With a back story of climate change, let’s set off on an adventure…
THE CLOUD THIEF
author: James Nicol
cover illustration: Emily Fox
Chicken House Books (14 March 2024)
ISBN: 9781915026491
In Withering-on-the-Sand-Sea, Mara, her pet squirrel Fidget and Old Bern anxiously await the delivery of the first cloud in months, along with the rest of the village. They desperately need the water it will bring; for their crops, their water supply and the relief from the imposing dust and dryness. When the cloud arrives and is released…it’s even more disappointing than the last few clouds. In a world where clouds are harvested from Queen Clouds; then bought and sold, while prices get higher and higher, the clouds get more and more useless. Now, with the town dwindling and Old Bern sick, Withering must get better clouds…but the only way Mara can get her hands on one is to steal it. But when is it right to do something wrong? What will Mara have to do to outwit the cloud-makers and their greedy trade? And how on earth can she get the cloud back to Withering in time?
This is such a wonderful adventure, filled with heart, courage and a huge dollop of charm. Mara is bold and clever, well able to grab a chance when she sees it. In fact, much of the time she seems to being making it up as she goes along with no real plan other than to steal a proper cloud and get it back to her village…somehow. At the centre of her desire is to save Old Bern. She doesn’t even know if it will work, but she has to do something. Along the way, she meets a vast array of characters, some good, some very wicked and all drawn beautifully…and filled with surprises. The discoveries she makes about the clouds themselves and how they are made are shocking, with a strange new view of clouds as living things, capable of thought and emotion. This adds an incredible dimension to the adventure she takes, the friendships she unintentionally develops and to the whole rhythm o the story. And it is wondrous! Vivid, imaginative, brave, heartfelt; this is a tale that opens up an unusual perspective on climate change, on community and gives some interesting thoughts on doing the right thing. Magical! I loved it!
To find out more….https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/the-cloud-thief/
FallenStar Stories 
This sounds lovely, thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. I loved the Apprentice Witch series from this author a few years ago, so I shall certainly lookout for this 😊
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