The Cloud

Name: The Cloud
ISBN: 9781646046270

by Angelo Ruta

For the child navigating heavy emotions or a sense of isolation. This wordless journey uses a dark cloud to help children visualize and process sadness.

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About This Book

Reach for this book when you notice your child withdrawing, acting 'heavy,' or struggling to find words for a persistent low mood. This poignant, wordless story follows a young girl followed by a literal dark cloud that separates her from her peers. Through Ruta's delicate charcoal illustrations, children see their own loneliness and sadness personified, which makes these big feelings feel manageable and external rather than a personal failing. It is a quiet, profound tool for normalizing depression and social isolation in children ages 4 to 8. Parents will appreciate how the story moves from deep shadows toward a gentle, hopeful connection, proving that while clouds may follow us, they do not have to define us.

Sadness & Grief Feelings & Emotions Loneliness & Belonging Hope & Optimism Being Left Out Empathy & Kindness Being Different Art & Creativity

What Parents Should Know

Sad ThemesModerate

Depicts persistent loneliness and emotional isolation through visual metaphor.

Sensitive Topics

The book deals with childhood depression and social anxiety through a purely metaphorical lens. It is secular and deeply psychological. The resolution is realistic: the cloud doesn't necessarily vanish forever, but the protagonist learns she is not alone, making the ending hopeful but grounded.