What do you think?
Rate this book
Once Upon a Cloud
Fresh from her work on Frozen and Tangled , Claire Keane brings her legendary talent to her debut picture book about finding the right present for someone you love.
Celeste wants to give her mother something special—but what? Her search takes her up into the skies, where she meets the stars, the moon and the sun, but she still doesn’t find the heartfelt present she’s been looking for. At the end of her journey, Celeste sees it—the perfect gift! Chosen with care and wrapped with love, it’s just what Celeste was hoping to find.
In this story about finding unexpected inspiration and giving from the heart, Claire Keane invites readers on a magical journey through the clouds. The result is a visually stunning book that really and truly is the perfect gift.
Celeste wants to give her mother something special—but what? Her search takes her up into the skies, where she meets the stars, the moon and the sun, but she still doesn’t find the heartfelt present she’s been looking for. At the end of her journey, Celeste sees it—the perfect gift! Chosen with care and wrapped with love, it’s just what Celeste was hoping to find.
In this story about finding unexpected inspiration and giving from the heart, Claire Keane invites readers on a magical journey through the clouds. The result is a visually stunning book that really and truly is the perfect gift.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
6 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Claire Keane
21 books53 followersClaire Keane is known for her work as a visual development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she made significant contributions to the popular films Tangled and Frozen. She studied graphic design at the École Supérieure d'Arts Graphiques in Paris, France. Claire lives in Venice Beach, California, with her husband and children. She is the creator of the picture book Once Upon a Cloud.
—From the jacket flap of A Fairy Friend
—From the jacket flap of A Fairy Friend
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
July 29, 2017
Selecting a special gift for your Mom is never an easy task. You have to go through a rigorous list of things you can get her so she'll be proud and happy about it.
After thinking a lot, when Celeste couldn't have an idea, just before falling asleep, things started to come in her rescue.
What does she choose? Well, you've to read the book to find it out.
Recommended for children who just learnt giving presents to the relatives on their own.
After thinking a lot, when Celeste couldn't have an idea, just before falling asleep, things started to come in her rescue.
What does she choose? Well, you've to read the book to find it out.
Recommended for children who just learnt giving presents to the relatives on their own.
February 16, 2021
Ohhh, these illustrations! I just adore them. So dreamy and magical -- they completely spoke to the little girl in me who would have wanted to fly off on just such an adventure. (She gives it five glowing stars.)
March 31, 2015
This is the most Mary Blair-looking thing I have ever seen, outside of Mary Blair.
October 5, 2019
The art is Sooooo beautiful and interesting i just loved it and the story is so innocent and dreamy that i loved it
May 13, 2015
This is my favorite children's book of the last decade, I think.
There's not much to the story, really. There's not a lot of depth and the characterizations of the sun, moon, and stars are a bit off to me in that they're non-traditional and not developed very far. We don't know much of anything about the main character except for her name (Celeste) and the fact that she's looking for a gift for mom. On paper, you'd think the book wasn't that great.
Except it is.
The illustrations are gorgeous. The color palette is warm, soft, and inviting, the strokes sweeping, broad, and inclusive. Everything comes to life and excites the imagination. The prose works hand-in-hand with the illustration style, asking for an almost reverent spoken tone. The book is fantastic for a before-bedtime read.
The most ringing endorsement was the one my four-year-old daughter gave, and the reason that she sometimes requests this book above others night after night. "Daddy, it makes my heart burn!"
What more could you ask for?
There's not much to the story, really. There's not a lot of depth and the characterizations of the sun, moon, and stars are a bit off to me in that they're non-traditional and not developed very far. We don't know much of anything about the main character except for her name (Celeste) and the fact that she's looking for a gift for mom. On paper, you'd think the book wasn't that great.
Except it is.
The illustrations are gorgeous. The color palette is warm, soft, and inviting, the strokes sweeping, broad, and inclusive. Everything comes to life and excites the imagination. The prose works hand-in-hand with the illustration style, asking for an almost reverent spoken tone. The book is fantastic for a before-bedtime read.
The most ringing endorsement was the one my four-year-old daughter gave, and the reason that she sometimes requests this book above others night after night. "Daddy, it makes my heart burn!"
What more could you ask for?
March 31, 2015
This is officially one of my favorite picture story books. I'll admit that I don't know much about Caldecott criteria, but Once Upon a Cloud should be considered. The art is dreamy and made me think of Fantasia. I love this.
December 4, 2018
Beautiful illustrations!
August 8, 2020
Such a fun book to read and look at. My daughter and I definitely enjoyed the 5 or so times we read this.
April 3, 2015
Celeste wants too give her mother the perfect gift, but as hard as she thinks about it, she can't seem to come up with the perfect gift. When she lies down to think about it some more, the winds come and pick her up and take her on an adventure into the sky, where she meets the stars, the moon, and the sun, and through these adventures, she realizes what it is she wants to give her mother as the perfect gift.
This book is beautiful. The story is charming, but the real strength in this volume lay in the art; Claire Keane's paintings are, in a word, stunning. I read through the volume once, and then have gone back about a half dozen times in the last week to just look at the artwork. It really is simply stunning. I'd highly recommend this to anyone, with or without children, who enjoy a lovely, whimsical tale.
This book is beautiful. The story is charming, but the real strength in this volume lay in the art; Claire Keane's paintings are, in a word, stunning. I read through the volume once, and then have gone back about a half dozen times in the last week to just look at the artwork. It really is simply stunning. I'd highly recommend this to anyone, with or without children, who enjoy a lovely, whimsical tale.
May 14, 2015
A weak, boring story coupled with unique, dream-like, somewhat retro illustrations that forcibly bring to mind Fantasia. I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see that the author/illustrator works for Disney and contributed to the films Tangled and Frozen.
If the prose matched the beauty of the illustrations this book would be a knockout. As it is, we are left with simplistic, declarative sentences, including one that is erroneously written: "The Stars were eagerly waiting her arrival!" Really? This whole book is probably about 75 words and no one noticed any problems here?!
Falls far short of potential. Just because you can draw beautifully doesn't mean you should be writing children's books. A collaboration with a better author would probably yield a more successful product.
If the prose matched the beauty of the illustrations this book would be a knockout. As it is, we are left with simplistic, declarative sentences, including one that is erroneously written: "The Stars were eagerly waiting her arrival!" Really? This whole book is probably about 75 words and no one noticed any problems here?!
Falls far short of potential. Just because you can draw beautifully doesn't mean you should be writing children's books. A collaboration with a better author would probably yield a more successful product.
May 27, 2016
While searching a gift for her mother, a little girl meets enchanted fairy-tale like creatures. The idea behind the story was nice, the realization lacked substance. One or two lines for 2 pages seemed very light and they added nothing to the story as everything was well explained by the art. I really enjoyed the drawings, they were lovely and enchanting, encouraging me to turn the pages and saving my impressions on the book.
March 20, 2015
If I was presented with this title back in 1970 something I would have absolutely swooned. And yes, quite possibly squealed. Dreamy, gorgeous, vibrant and just plain yum illustrations. This is definitely not a one time look picture book. The little girl in me (which luckily can still be found), absolutely loves it.
June 30, 2015
The illustrations in this book! Magical, lush, evocative. I could stare at the drawings of Celeste on their own and never tire of their many nuances, but then there is so much more on each page. A true example of a book where the art and text enhance each other.
See more of my review on Get Your Book On.
See more of my review on Get Your Book On.
March 12, 2015
Super cutesy book about a little girl looking for a gift for her mom. The illustrations were whimsical enough that they made up for the lackluster prose.
June 5, 2015
The illustrations are delightfully whimsical and accompanied by appropriately gentle text. Personally, I'd love to wallpaper my house with the illustrations, but the text was not outstanding.
June 13, 2015
Maximum sweetness/minimal text. The pastel illustrations are dreamy; surreal in the most lovely way.
August 20, 2015
Nice simple story for smaller kiddos and absolutely gorgeous art for both parent and child to enjoy.
February 8, 2016
Every microscopic inch of this book is gorgeous.
March 4, 2018
Celeste wants to think of a present to give to her mom but is having a hard time thinking up something that's just right. At night, she goes to bed still not having thought of what to get her but before she is able to fall asleep, she is whisked by Wind to a lovely, pastel-shaded dreamland. Along her journey, Celeste meets some welcoming celestial bodies who all have something to share with her on her way to finding the perfect present.
Once Upon a Cloud is short and to the point. There's a plot but it's extremely simplistic. Despite this, I loved every single page and believe that had there been no words, the whimsical and enchanting art would have been enough for me. Claire Keane does not need them to tell her story, which is why she is such a wonderful concept artist. Perhaps the words were mere distractions from what is ultimately a visually driven tale, or maybe this book could have used a separate author to come in and pad the story and tie loose ends up, but all in all, I immensely enjoyed this book and have found myself glancing through the cotton candy-colored pages many times since.
One of the main reasons for my desire to read Once Upon a Cloud is knowing of Claire Keane's involvement in one of my all-time favorite Disney films, Tangled, as well as her subsequent work on other animated Disney films. If you get a chance, you should check out more of her art on her blog: Claire on a Cloud
Once Upon a Cloud is short and to the point. There's a plot but it's extremely simplistic. Despite this, I loved every single page and believe that had there been no words, the whimsical and enchanting art would have been enough for me. Claire Keane does not need them to tell her story, which is why she is such a wonderful concept artist. Perhaps the words were mere distractions from what is ultimately a visually driven tale, or maybe this book could have used a separate author to come in and pad the story and tie loose ends up, but all in all, I immensely enjoyed this book and have found myself glancing through the cotton candy-colored pages many times since.
One of the main reasons for my desire to read Once Upon a Cloud is knowing of Claire Keane's involvement in one of my all-time favorite Disney films, Tangled, as well as her subsequent work on other animated Disney films. If you get a chance, you should check out more of her art on her blog: Claire on a Cloud
July 25, 2024
I absolutely adore the illustrations. It's so Disney like and magical and you can't help but connect with Celeste's wide-eyed wonder. Would have rated it 5 stars if not for the disappointing ended. I was just expecting something more. The ending fell flat for me and lost the sense of magic and wonder from before because her choice of gift felted a little disconnected from her nighttime adventure.
March 13, 2018
A little girl is wondering what gift to give her mother when she is carried away by the wind who takes her to dance with the stars, hear stories on the moon, and have tea with the sun. As the wind whisks her back home she spies a field of flowers, which remind her of her stellar visits, which inspires her idea for the perfect present.
Perhaps best known for her concept art seen in Tangled, the author / artist enters the realm of picture books with a perfectly enchanting story. Her father, Glen Keane was a long time Disney animator and her grandfather, Bil Keane was the creator of the much loved Family Circus comics.
Perhaps best known for her concept art seen in Tangled, the author / artist enters the realm of picture books with a perfectly enchanting story. Her father, Glen Keane was a long time Disney animator and her grandfather, Bil Keane was the creator of the much loved Family Circus comics.
August 22, 2017
I don't know what it is about this book, but the moment my daughter handed it to me for me to read it to her, I knew it was special. The illustrations and story inspire the imagination. Everything about it felt magical and enchanting. And as a mother, I appreciated the story line and the message at the end. It's definitely my new favorite picture book! One that I am happy to read over and over again!
March 4, 2018
Fantastically beautiful dry pastel art is unfortunately accompanied by awkwardly awful text.
"Celeste felt positively sparkling."
"Celeste was practically glowing with delight."
Celeste is a young girl trying to decide what gift to give her mother. At bedtime she is whisked away by the wind to the sky where she's read bedtime stories by the Moon and has a cup of tea with the sun. On her way back from dreamland she realizes the perfect gift is a bunch of flowers.
The text was just awful.
"Celeste felt positively sparkling."
"Celeste was practically glowing with delight."
Celeste is a young girl trying to decide what gift to give her mother. At bedtime she is whisked away by the wind to the sky where she's read bedtime stories by the Moon and has a cup of tea with the sun. On her way back from dreamland she realizes the perfect gift is a bunch of flowers.
The text was just awful.
May 19, 2017
Gorgeous illustrations. A little girl wants to give her mother a present. As she goes to sleep she is swept on a journey to see the stars, moon and sun who are all personified. This would be a good Mother's Day book to give and share. While the illustrations are phenomenal I feel that the story is a little lacking.
March 6, 2017
Gorgeous illustrations that are more paintings than anything else, Once Upon a Cloud is a great bedtime storytime in which a young girl explores and plays with the wind, stars, the moon, and the sun.
July 12, 2017
This is one of the most GORGEOUS books I've seen. Every single page feels like a painting worthy of museum display; I simply adored reading this with my niece, and took a few minutes myself to look it over after we finished. It also has a sweet story about finding just the right gift.
September 16, 2019
A little too light and whimisical and girly for my taste. Ask me again when my infant girl is grown up and I might have a different opinion. It's a fine book, just not my taste. But a purple loving sparkly girl probably will.
December 27, 2020
I love the art of this book that's just a 5 star on it's own. I liked the character she meets during her adventure, but would be nice to have a little bit more story, with those meetings. But I liked the ending aswell, it all came together nicely.
March 12, 2022
An amazing adventure with equally amazing illustrations. Brilliantly imaginative to personify wind and sun and stars - easy to create topics of discussion with the girls. Lovely to have a happy ending. This is exactly what a bedtime story should be - simple and wonderful.
November 9, 2016
An absolutely gorgeous book with a sweet, imaginative story that we all fell in love with. The illustrations are simply breathtaking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews