School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-5-In a faraway land, a boy exhibits a most unusual talent: he can spin clouds into marvelously glimmering cloth. The king discovers and covets his skill and demands sartorial wonders for the entire royal family. The cloud spinner knows that this is not the proper use for the yarn, but who can refuse the barked orders of a king? Sure enough, the clouds run out, the rain ceases, and Earth suffers as a result. Whereas Lynd Ward and Virginia Lee Burton anthropomorphized lighthouses and steam shovels to give children an opportunity to connect with their social and technological milieus, Jay makes the environment come alive-each hill has a soft, friendly face. When the clouds are used up, one by one, the hills turn brown and their smiles turn down. Even the youngest child will empathize with the pain the planet feels. Nearly all of the illustrations are land-swept views and resemble illuminated manuscripts in their use of cobalt, aquamarine, and golden hues. The soft edges look handcrafted due to the thick paper, and they have a warm, centuries-old look due to Jay's unique style using cracked varnish and alkyd paint. This timely tale focuses not on recycling, or repurposing, but on reducing. We need more stories like this one to make the Earth come alive for small children to behold and love.-Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Who wouldn't want a scarf "soft as a mouse's touch and warm as roasted chestnuts"? That's just the type of special garment crafted by the titular cloud spinner, a boy who transforms clouds into elegant threads in Catchpool's ecological fable. When a greedy king spies the cloud spinner's wonderful crimson and gold scarf, he orders the boy to fashion him an extra-long scarf-and cloaks and dresses for the queen and princess. Though the boy insists such abundance is not needed, recalling his mother's philosophy, "Enough is enough and not one stitch more," he complies. As a result, the entire kingdom learns what it means to lose such a valuable resource as the clouds, until the quiet and observant princess comes to the rescue. Jay's now-signature paintings of exaggerated figures awash in a cracked varnish lend a timeless air of fantasy and whimsy to this original tale. Her hillsides appear to have faces (with sheep forming the eyes and mouths), and the clouds-which resemble various objects and animals-provide seek-and-find opportunities for readers. Ages 5-8. Illustrator's agent: The Organisation. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
A young boy can spin clouds into beautiful cloth. His mother taught him prudence--"Enough is enough and not one stitch more"--but a greedy king demands an excess of fine clothing. When the clouds run out, causing a drought, the princess helps the boy make things right. Jay's familiar crackle-varnished art strengthens Catchpool's whimsical cautionary tale of avarice. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Under the sugarcoated guise of an original fairy tale, Catchpool's story effectively delivers an antiwastefulness message. A boy sits on top of a hill with a loom and a spinning wheel. As clouds pass, he spins them into gold, white, and crimson thread, depending on the time of day. He only spins thread for two scarves, knowing when enough is enough and not one stitch more. But after a greedy king sees his creations, well, you know what's coming next. The boy is forced to spin clothes for the (rotund) king, the queen, and the princess, until there are no more clouds left. Luckily, it turns out that the princess has a conscience. Jay's old-fashioned, crackle-textured illustrations are a natural fit, and children will have fun looking at her depiction of the boy's hill: it smiles when ecologically healthy (sheep line up to form eyes and a mouth, a tree stands in for a nose, a hut makes a hat), and it frowns when deprived. Some children will simply enjoy this picture book for its story, while others may come away with a raised environmental awareness.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
