In this lyrical picture book about a Chinese family, the sky tries to hold in the clouds just like the boy holds in his worries about his grandmother's health. When she passes away, the sky lets out all the rain—and helps the boy finally express his grief.
Key Selling Points
- The sky is holding back the clouds as best it can, even though the boy's grandmother is getting sicker. Finally, when she passes away, the storm comes—and the boy lets his tears out too.
- A picture book about the worry when a loved one gets sick and trying to push down the grief when they pass away, as well as the releasing of feelings and the power of honoring your loved one's legacy.
- Author Sarah Tsiang, who is of Chinese descent, has written a story with a Chinese family at its center, showcasing activities that reflect their heritage, including the ancestral altar, which makes the ending especially meaningful.
- Elaine Chen's warm, welcoming artwork keeps the story feeling age-appropriate and relatable; a couple of wordless spreads allow the pictures to speak to the emotions evoked, rather than using written words.
- Sarah Tsiang is a poet, children's writer and all-around generalist when it comes to writing. She's the author of Toesy Toes, among other children's books, which earned a Kirkus starred review.
The sky likes to be sunny so people can have fun outside—like the boy and his grandmother as they plant seeds.
It does its best to contain the clouds and rain so the boy and his grandma can have a picnic together, eating bao. Or do Tai Chi, or play mahjong in the park. But his grandma hasn’t been well lately. And the sky isn't sure it can hold the clouds back anymore…like when the ambulance comes. And then when Grandma doesn’t come home.
It rains and rains, and everyone goes indoors, including the boy and his family, who are devastated by the grandmother's death. The sky sees the boy has rain inside him too, and encourages him to let it out. The boy cries and cries, and his mother holds him. But we see that eventually, just like the rain, his tears stop. The streets have been washed clean and the plants are blooming. His grandma has a special place on their family's altar, which includes flowers from the garden they planted together, showing she will live on in their home and hearts forever.
Praise for Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang:
? "Simple, age-appropriate, and thoughtfully diverse. Exactly what we want in a board book."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review for Toesy Toes
