In partnership with Page Street Kids. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Cloud in a Jar
Written by Aaron Lewis Krol
Illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Pages Street Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645679936
Publisher’s Book Summary: It’s just after midnight on Walton Wharf West, but there’s no time for sleeping―adventure awaits! Get dressed, grab your oars, let’s not delay. Lou Dozens is here, and we’re sailing to Firelight Bay!
In this modern, young, bold, and inventive adventure, Lou drags her more cautious friend on a daring voyage across the sea. Though their destination is a glorious land of year-round summers, long slides, and picnics a hundred yards wide, the children there have never seen rain, even once.
The mission is simple: bring Firelight Bay a cloud in a jar. But the journey is anything but. Readers will delight in the story’s twists, turns, and unexpected solutions―from a sail of patchwork handkerchiefs to a net crafted from recycled cell phone chargers that saves a beached whale. It’ll take every knick-knack in Lou’s pockets and all the cleverness the pair can muster to safely deliver their gift.
With captivating illustrations and whimsical yet delightfully intricate rhyming text reminiscent of classic children’s poetry, this seafaring quest is one young readers will not soon forget.
PURCHASE LINK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aaron Lewis Krol lives with his family in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he writes about climate change science and solutions for the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative. Like many, his early education included many “invention challenges” where students were tasked with building structures from everyday materials, and he’s pretty sure that’s where the idea for Lou Dozens came from. A Cloud in a Jar is his first picture book.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Carlos Vélez Aguilera lived in the oceanside town of Puerto Vallarta for a time and drew from his memory of those beautiful landscapes and the sense of adventure they gave him while illustrating this book. He also poured in his general love of clouds, the sea, and whales. In addition to drawing, Carlos also likes to dance. He lives in Mexico City, Mexico, with his cat, Benito.
TOUR SCHEDULE
| Monday, October 2, 2023The Children’s Book ReviewA Cloud in a Jar Book Tour Kick-Off |
| Tuesday, October 3, 2023The Fairview ReviewBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Wednesday, October 4, 2023Life Is What It’s CalledAuthor Interview with Aaron Lewis Kroll |
| Thursday, October 5, 2023A Blue Box Full of BooksBook Review and Little Free Library Drop of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Friday, October 6, 2023icefairy’s Treasure ChestBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Monday, October 9, 2023Heart to HeartAuthor Interview with Aaron Lewis Kroll |
| Tuesday, October 10, 2023Get Outside and ReadBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Wednesday, October 11, 2023Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Thursday, October 12, 2023My Reading GetawayAuthor Interview with Aaron Lewis Kroll |
| Friday, October 13, 2023Writer with WanderlustBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Monday, October 16, 2023Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Tuesday, October 17, 2023The Momma SpotBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Wednesday, October 18, 2023Cover Lover Book ReviewBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Thursday, October 19, 2023Stargirls.Magical.TaleBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Friday, October 20, 2023Me Two BooksBook Activity Paired with A Cloud in a Jar |
| Monday, October 23, 2023One More ExclamationBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Tuesday, October 24, 2023Joanna’s BookshelfBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Wednesday, October 25, 2023Crafty Moms ShareBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Thursday, October 26, 2023Froggy Teach ReadBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Friday, October 27, 2023Pages for PaigeBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Monday, October 30, 2023Country Mamas with KidsBook Review of A Cloud in a Jar |
| Tuesday, October 31, 2023Q&A with Deborah KalbAuthor Interview with Aaron Lewis Kroll |
UP, UP, AND AWAY!
MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK
A Cloud in a Jar
Written by Aaron Lewis Krol
Illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera
Lou decides to bring her best friend on an adventure. She knocks on her friend’s window in Walton Wharf West to urge her to get up from her bed to sail away to Firelight Bay in her rowboat.
Their mission is to reach Firelight Bay where the residents enjoy endless summers and picnics all day long. Sounds wonderful, but one thing is missing. It never rains. The children can never dance in the rain or stomp in puddles. Lou decides to solve that problem by importing rain with a cloud she has trapped in a jar.
The journey seems doomed from the start as they face one mishap after another, but Lou has tricks up her sleeve. A beautiful sea creature appears when their boat breaks apart. Will the girlfriends reach safety? Can they achieve their mission?
Aquilera does a masterful job of creating bold, expressive illustrations that match the different moods of Krol’s poetic adventure. While the fantasy adventure book targets children ages four through eight, the advanced vocabulary might be more suitable as an independent read for middle grade readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for the chance to win a hardcover copy of A Cloud in a Jar!
Two (2) winners receive:
A hardcover copy of A Cloud in a Jar
October 18, 2023
bamauthor
Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 