When the Clouds Came

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

Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang is a poet and author of multiple children's books, including the board book Toesy Toes and the YA novel Breathing Fire. Sarah's work been published and translated internationally, as well as named to the OLA Best Bets for Children 2010, Best Books for Kids & Teens from 2011 to 2014, the Toronto Public Library's First and Best Book List (2012) and the Top Ten List for the Amelia Bloomer Project. She teaches creative writing at Queen's University and mentors graduate students at the University of Toronto and through the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive. Sarah lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Elaine Chen is an illustrator and painter who enjoys capturing the little things in life, be it a wildflower or the warmth of a cup of tea. She recently illustrated the picture book A Garden Called Home, which was an OLA Best Bets winner in 2024, and My Day With Gong Gong, which was nominated for a Blue Spruce Award in 2021 and was also named a Kirkus and CBC Best Book of 2020. She currently works as a video game artist and children's book illustrator in Vancouver.