Review by GiGi Kang
Tundra Books, March 2025
40 pages, Hardcover, $24.99 CAD, 9781774881613
Picture book, ages 4-8
Adventure, Nature
A row of ants is marching back and forth, carrying food into their underground nest.
Sometimes you feel so big,
and sometimes you feel so small.
You’re one little bit in this great, wide world.
Head Full of Clouds is for the people watchers, tree huggers, and curious learners. The vibrant picture book written by Joanne Schwartz and illustrated by Afsaneh Sanei follows a young girl’s day after she wakes up from a vivid dream that she can’t shake.
The immersive dream involves rich ocean imagery which lingers in the little girl’s mind. The memory of its beauty makes her open to the environment around her. She begins to notice that rain puddles are as exciting as the sea. She crouches to pick resilient weeds growing out of sidewalk cracks. She listens to music playing in the street as people hurry by. The little girl slows down to appreciate the beauty around her, and the whole book is a celebration of being present.
Sanei’s illustrations highlight the diversity of beings that the little girl appreciates throughout her day. Charming creatures like wandering geese, watchful sparrows, and a playful dog add whimsy and a sense of connectedness. The natural environment is depicted through an abundance of greenery, from light to dark. The brightness of Sanei’s palette makes the illustrations sparkle with animation.
At the end of the little girl’s mindful day, she meets with a friend and feels the same beauty from human connection as she did from her environment. The friendship establishes a sense of grounding—a warm and familiar place to land after a remarkable day of appreciation.
Observant young readers who enjoyed Darren Lebeuf’s My Ocean Is Blue or Oliver Jeffers’ Meanwhile Back on Earth will recognize the same thoughtful admiration of our beautiful world in Schwartz and Sanei’s Head Full of Clouds.
GiGi Kang studied English Literature and Creative Writing at UBC. In addition to her creative writing, she is a music writer at LA-based magazine The Luna Collective where she interviews creatives and enjoys learning of their stories. You can read more of her work at gigikang.com.
YOUNG ADULTING 