What do you think?
Rate this book
Cloudy Day Sunny Day: A Caldecott Honor Book About Family Play and Exploration for Children
The day is gray and cloudy. It’s a good day to snuggle up with a book, a fine day for make-believe, until . . . the sun bursts through the clouds! Now it’s a great day to fly a kite, the perfect day to ride a bike. No matter what the weather, each new day is a fresh opportunity to stretch and to explore. Caldecott Honor recipient Donald Crews celebrates the familiar activities that keep two siblings and their parents busy--and happy--from sunrise to bedtime.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Donald Crews
43 books49 followersDonald Crews (born August 30, 1938) is an American illustrator and writer of children's picture books. In 2015, the American Library Association (ALA) honored him with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, recognizing his lasting contribution to children's literature. Common subjects of his include modern technology (especially travel vehicles), and childhood memories. His stories often include few humans.
Two of his works were runners-up, or Caldecott Honor Books, for the ALA's annual award for picture book illustration, the Caldecott Medal.
Donald Crews was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938. He had an older brother, Asa who became Beth Israel Hospital's first African-American intern, and two sisters. His mother worked as a seamstress, and his father worked at the railroad, and several other odd jobs. For the summers he would travel down to rural Florida to stay with his grandmother, who he called "Bigmama". The difference between the big city and the farm caused him to create two, massively different types of art later on in his life.
From a young age, his talent for drawing was encouraged by his family and his teachers. When he got into high school, one of his teachers became a mentor to him, and personally made sure that he got into art school.
He graduated from Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, and married another graduate, graphic artist Ann Jonas.
Crews was drafted into the army in 1963, and sent to Frankfurt, Germany. Their first daughter, Nina was born in Germany, and their second was born a year later in New York. Nina is also an award-winning children's book author.
While in Germany, he worked on several pieces for his portfolio, including the book We Read: A to Z (1967). After several suggestions from friends, he submitted it, and it was published by Harper & Row (now HarperCollins). The book relied on abstract ideas, rather than the clichés that were usually associated with ABC books. One classic example is the entry for the letter C: "Cc, corner: where the yellow is" is illustrated with a yellow square in the far corner of a red page in the book.
He created several other books over the next few years, but it was 1978's Freight Train that won him a Caldecott Honor and the respect of other artists in the field. He won another Caldecott Honor the next year for Truck. Several other transportation themed books followed, such as School Bus (1984), Flying (1986), and Sail Away (1995). His memories from his summers in Florida first appeared in Bigmama's and later in Shortcut. These stories are vastly different from his previous works, in that they focus on humans, and tell a more linear story.
Crews and his wife currently live in the state of New York in an old, restored farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.
Two of his works were runners-up, or Caldecott Honor Books, for the ALA's annual award for picture book illustration, the Caldecott Medal.
Donald Crews was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938. He had an older brother, Asa who became Beth Israel Hospital's first African-American intern, and two sisters. His mother worked as a seamstress, and his father worked at the railroad, and several other odd jobs. For the summers he would travel down to rural Florida to stay with his grandmother, who he called "Bigmama". The difference between the big city and the farm caused him to create two, massively different types of art later on in his life.
From a young age, his talent for drawing was encouraged by his family and his teachers. When he got into high school, one of his teachers became a mentor to him, and personally made sure that he got into art school.
He graduated from Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, and married another graduate, graphic artist Ann Jonas.
Crews was drafted into the army in 1963, and sent to Frankfurt, Germany. Their first daughter, Nina was born in Germany, and their second was born a year later in New York. Nina is also an award-winning children's book author.
While in Germany, he worked on several pieces for his portfolio, including the book We Read: A to Z (1967). After several suggestions from friends, he submitted it, and it was published by Harper & Row (now HarperCollins). The book relied on abstract ideas, rather than the clichés that were usually associated with ABC books. One classic example is the entry for the letter C: "Cc, corner: where the yellow is" is illustrated with a yellow square in the far corner of a red page in the book.
He created several other books over the next few years, but it was 1978's Freight Train that won him a Caldecott Honor and the respect of other artists in the field. He won another Caldecott Honor the next year for Truck. Several other transportation themed books followed, such as School Bus (1984), Flying (1986), and Sail Away (1995). His memories from his summers in Florida first appeared in Bigmama's and later in Shortcut. These stories are vastly different from his previous works, in that they focus on humans, and tell a more linear story.
Crews and his wife currently live in the state of New York in an old, restored farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2019
In a recent article in The Atlantic, reporter Ashley Fellows asks "Where is the Black Blueberries for Sal?" questioning why there aren't many books about Black children exploring the great outdoors. (https://www.theatlantic.com/family/ar...). This picture book begins to address this gap in a small way by showing children fly kites, ride bikes, and enjoy the natural world.
February 12, 2020
My children absolutely adore this book. Reading literature is so important to the development of a child's mind, and I cannot think of thing I would rather do then sit down to read to them in the evenings. Imagination and growth are so vital in those so young.
June 1, 2021
Today in circle time, we talked about the date and the weather. We decided that the weather was cold and cloudy. We talked about how the sun was hiding while we were outside, making it cloudy. After talking as a group, we read the book "Cloudy Day Sunny Day."
November 14, 2018
A book that reminds us that we can have fun both inside and outside of the house, no matter the weather.
April 3, 2019
A fun easy reader with a playful plot.
May 19, 2021
A little too easy, even for my struggling readers, but they needed that boost.
November 3, 2014
Genre: concept and informational picture book
Annotation: The day is gray and cloudy. It’s a good day to snuggle up with a book, a fine day for make-believe, until . . . the sun bursts through the clouds! Now it’s a great day to fly a kite, the perfect day to ride a bike. No matter what the weather, each new day is a fresh opportunity to stretch and to explore. Caldecott Honor recipient Donald Crews celebrates the familiar activities that keep two siblings and their parents busy--and happy--from sunrise to bedtime.
Themes: Culture and Diversity, weather, family activities, indoor/outdoor activities
Ways to Use: teaching opposites, compare different kinds of weather, list activities you would do on a cloudy day and on a sunny day
Annotation: The day is gray and cloudy. It’s a good day to snuggle up with a book, a fine day for make-believe, until . . . the sun bursts through the clouds! Now it’s a great day to fly a kite, the perfect day to ride a bike. No matter what the weather, each new day is a fresh opportunity to stretch and to explore. Caldecott Honor recipient Donald Crews celebrates the familiar activities that keep two siblings and their parents busy--and happy--from sunrise to bedtime.
Themes: Culture and Diversity, weather, family activities, indoor/outdoor activities
Ways to Use: teaching opposites, compare different kinds of weather, list activities you would do on a cloudy day and on a sunny day
July 17, 2009
A short and simple book that is easy for beginning readers. It's a good book to read on a cloudy, rainy day.
July 18, 2010
A beginning reader for K-1 grades. Goes over cloudy day and sunny day activities.
Themes - weather, inside/outside activities
A short and simple beginning reader book.
Themes - weather, inside/outside activities
A short and simple beginning reader book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews