An imaginative, fun story is what you’ll find in Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe by Beth Bence Reinke.

While walking home from the bakery with her father and her sister, Anna, Carla sees clouds falling from the sky. They cover everything: the ground, traffic lights, the grass, even Papa. Carla is afraid she’ll be late for her own birthday party. Papa is the Director of Transportation, so he is called into a meeting on how to handle the cloud situation. All the adults start tossing around ideas on what to do with the clouds. Could Carla have a better solution? Will she make it to her birthday party on time?

My girls and I loved this book. Its unique storyline drew us in right away. Having read Reinke’s A Wish and A Prayer and In My Bath, I knew this would be a wonderful book; but this story is definitely my favorite. Here is a young girl trying to get home from the bakery with her birthday cake, and clouds start falling from the sky. Carla is sure she won’t make it to her party on time. She travels through her neighborhood, finding fallen clouds everywhere. Then she has to follow her dad into an important meeting on how to handle the situation. I would be freaking out if I were Carla.

Ginger Neilson’s beautiful artwork brings this story to life. From the puffy clouds falling on Papa to the fluffy mess at the public library, and from the splatters of clouds coming off the merry-go-round to the clouds stuck to the church’s steeple, every page is filled with wonderful illustrations to make this story come alive.

Every youngster will want a copy of Carla’s Cloud Catastrophe!

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Publisher:  4RV Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-9828346-0-2

AVAILABLE SUMMER 2011!

I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide my opinion.

Jason is sad when his pet parakeet is scared by an ambulance racing by and takes off out the window. His friends try to help, telling him all about making wishes by waiting until the clock says 11:11, dropping a penny in a fountain, or even using stars. When Mom asks him who hears those wishes, Jason begins to think that praying for Sonny’s return would be a better idea.

I truly enjoyed how Reinke tackled the difference between wishing on objects versus praying to God for our needs. The message is given to the reader in such a way that it is easy for him to understand. In addition, as when Jason discovers without electricity the clock has no power at all, your child will realize that God has power in any situation.

The other nice thing, which parents will pick up more than children, is the peace that comes from casting your burden unto the Lord. Once Jason prays, he feels a song in his heart as he drifts off to sleep. Believers know the peace that passes all understanding, and will find A Wish and A Prayer gives them a simple and subtle way to share that concept with their children.

Artist Ginger Nielson did an excellent job on the illustrations for this book. She also provided the artwork for In My Bath, the other book by Reinke, which we reviewed here. I hope their collaborations continue.

A Wish and A Prayer will make a lovely gift any time of the year. With its lovely story and stunning artwork, your child will be reading it over and again.

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In my Bath takes the reader on a fun adventure with a boy who imagines he is jumping waves, floating on the tide, jumping from lily pad to lily pad, and so much more.

I wonder if Reinke has the heart of a child to capture the delight of pretending you’re something much different than you are in this wonderful story that could help encourage regular bath time.

I don’t know how your children are, but each of my kids went through a stage where bathing was akin to torture. Getting them into the tub was such a struggle I sometimes ended up just washing them in the sink. Where was this book then?

Ginger Nielson provided the illustrations for In My Bath. I couldn’t help but think of our vacations to the Outer Banks of North Carolina as I read the book. The colors she used, the marine wildlife depicted, and everything from water foam to the sheer enjoyment seen in the boy’s eyes, remind me of our times at the beach.

And once bath time is over, the boy’s toys get picked up, we see him in his pajamas with his toothbrush in his hand, and he’s thinking of new adventures he’ll have in his bath the next time.

In My Bath by Beth Bence Rienke would make excellent reading right before starting your nightly routine of winding the kids down and preparing them for bed. But don’t be surprised if they ask to read this one throughout the day. With this much fun and adventure, it won’t be on the shelf long.
 

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