ALA Booklist

Carle, who has been writing and illustrating pictures books for almost 40 years, proves that his touch is as sure as ever in this book about a cloud and the shapes it takes on. The format is simplicity itself. Against a heavenly blue background, a little cloud transforms itself. In one spread it turns into a sheep, in another a shark, in a third a rabbit. It even becomes a clown's hat, and then the whole clown. When it joins up with the other clouds, they turn dark together, and then it begins to rain. The oversize format features textured collage cloud shapes that take up almost the whole spread. With only one line of text per spread and such easy-to-see pictures, this qualifies as a perfect story hour choice--and segues nicely into a trip outside to look up at the sky. (Reviewed April 1, 1996)

Horn Book

Using white painted collages against the vivid blues of the sky, Carle tells the story of a little cloud that transforms itself into different shapes--a sheep, an airplane, a shark, and a clown--before rejoining the other clouds in the sky to make rain. A delightful invitation to a child's imagination.

Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A sophisticated idea deftly packed into a simple text. Little Cloud drifts away from its flock and turns into different shapes: sheep, airplane, trees, clown. Carle (A Very Lonely Firefly, 1995, etc.) has created a memorable protagonist and an appropriately abstract and formless plot. The text is printed on background the color of sky, on which appear clouds: familiar fluffy shapes covered with white and icy blue brushstrokes. As usual, Carle employs a limited number of elements, each under tight control. This restraint is precisely what gives the book its overall depth, imparting to the story and pictures a sense of possibility. The result is a philosophical suggestion, scaled to a child's sensibility, as open to interpretation as the passing clouds. (Picture book. 2-6)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

With shades of Charles G. Shaw's classic It Looked Like Spilt Milk, this tale introduces a cloud that changes itself into a handful of shapes (spreads feature a cloud plane, shark and trees against a blue background). Ages 2-6. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--A familiar story line involving the whimsical world of ever-changing shapes in the sky. Little Cloud drifts away from his wispy friends and entertains himself by changing into a variety of forms--a lamb, an airplane, a shark, a clown, etc.--before joining the others to form one big cloud that rains. Charles Shaw's It Looked Like Spilt Milk (HarperCollins, 1947) explores a similar theme. While the concept is not unique, the style is definitely Carle's own. His trademark painted cut-paper collages are eye-catching and appealing. Children will enjoy the simple text and the colorful illustrations.--Kathy Mitchell, Gadsden Co. Public Library, Quincy, FL