Horn Book Review
Curmudgeon Mr. Sherman awakens under a cloud--literally: it's raining in his bedroom. The cloud follows him as he goes about his day, during which he notices that when it visits cheerful folk, it offers "just a brief bit of shade" before it vanishes. The vapidly cartoonish art undercuts the book's cleverly crafted insight that we make our own sunshine. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A bad mood and resulting rain cloud prove hard for Mr. Sherman to escape without help from a group of imaginative children.When Mr. Sherman awakes "twisting and turning," he anticipates "another lousy day." Moments later, a dark cloud starts to rain above himin his bedroom. Drop after drop makes him feel worse, and before he even steps outside, Mr. Sherman is soaked. The rain follows him "all day long," and though people around him also get wet, they aren't "nearly as bothered by it as he" is. When one person offers him an umbrella, Mr. Sherman refuses, determined to remain grumpy. While sitting alone on a bench, he notices that clouds forming above other people's heads don't last, yet he doesn't seem to realize his own cloud may relate to his attitude. Only a kind gesture from three children pretending to be pirates can hope to remind him that sometimes "a little bit of a storm" is needed in life. Digital layering over pen-and-ink illustrations adds depth to scenes, and Mr. Sherman's flushed cheeks and gray attire reflect his mood. Readers will notice other characters' skins are left uncolored. However, with the exception of a Sikh man in the bus crowd and two passers-by, characters appear white.A resilient reminder that everyone has down daysand a more important message that some people may need a little more support for the clouds to break. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.