Ever spend the day laying on the grass with your children, watching the clouds float by, finding shapes that make you laugh? Great, then you’ll love Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe, a delightfully illustrated children’s book that doesn’t have fairies and princesses but real kids and an unusual situation.
Author Beth Bence Reinke brings to life a funny “catastrophe” and how thinking creatively helps take care of it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe, a children’s book that had both my husband and me laughing out loud as we read it with our toddler.
A Dash of Humor to Brighten Your Day
“We’d just gotten out of the bakery when the sky fell on Papa’s head”, the first line of the book alone is enough to make you laugh. Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe is light-hearted, funny and fun all through. It talks about how a young girl, Carla’s birthday, seems nearly ruined when a tornado loosens the clouds in the sky and sends them plunging down to earth. The roads are blocked with clouds, there are clouds stuck in chimneys, lawns sprinkled with fluffy cloud instead of snow and clouds stuffing themselves into rooms and houses. Yes, it is a catastrophe alright! **smiling**
What makes the book really special besides the writing is the illustration by Ginger Nielson. Colorful, vivid and bright, the illustrations bring to life Carla and her catastrophe.
Fueling Creativity and Curiosity
The book is a great read for school-age kids as they explore “what are clouds” and more in class. It had my preschooler asking me “why are clouds up in the sky, mama?” at the end of the book. It is also a great example of being creative and thinking out-of-the-box to resolve a problem. Carla’s father, is Director of Transportation and he along with the Mayor of the town and other adults try to come up with “grown-up” solutions while Carla offers more creative ones as she tries to find a way to make it to her birthday party in time. What works eventually is for you to find out!
A Positive, Feel-Good Read for Kids and Grown-Ups
The book, I felt, had a lovely message – it teaches children to not give up in the face of adversity and instead, look at the brighter side of things, think creatively and resolve a problem with some quick thinking.
It also gently shows kids the importance of being part of a team, listening to what parents’ say even though their heart may tell them to do otherwise and having fun no matter what.
About Beth Bence Reinke
A well-loved children’s book writer, Beth has written two other books for kids’ – In my Bath and A Wish and a Prayer. She is also a registered dietitian with a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Master’s in Nutrition. Her articles have been published in ParentLife, Hallmark Magazine, Smart and CBN.co m and many more. Find out more about Beth and her writings at her website or connect with her on Twitter.
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Liked the review. We should encourage our kids for being creative
Raksha Kamat recently posted..Rawa Fried Mushrooms
Thank you Raksha. I’m glad you liked the review! Do check out the book should you get the chance!
Prerna, it wamrs my heart that Carla’s story made you and your family laugh. Thank you so much for this insightful and thorough review of Ginger’s and my book.
Thank you, Beth. It was a real pleasure to be able to review Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe. It isn’t often that we come across a kids’ book that we too can relate to and one that inspires our toddler to be creative and curious is a great addition to our library!
Sounds like a great book; will have to check it out!
Emily recently posted..What Is “Financial Freedom?”
Thank you Emily. Yes, it is a delightful book and the best part is that it fuels imagination and creativity in toddlers too!
What a great review. We at 4RV Publishing are delighted to have Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe in our lineup of children’s books.
Thank you Vivian. 4RV does have a great collection. Am delighted to have been able to share Beth’s book with my readers. It is a real winner!
We really enjoyed this book. I loved how it allows kids to think of their own creative solutions how to get rid of the clouds.
Thank you for sharing your review, Rena! So glad to see that you liked Carla and her creativity too:-)
Boy, Carla, you sure do get around! lol. Glad to see another great review!
Very nice review. Congratulations on your book, Beth. My fifth-graders and I used to go outside and study the clouds for science class. They learned to identify the different kinds and predict the weather. Must read about Carla’s clouds.
Beverly recently posted..Book Clubs
Thank you Beverly. Am glad you liked the review. You’ll love Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe since it is a great way to get kids to explore clouds and think about them in a fun way as well!