#996 of 1001 · April 23, 2023

Come along, Gentle Readers, and explore a landscape of love and mystic enchantment in the fifth of my Final Ten Books. @vic_turnbull takes us on a journey of the soul in her lyrical Cloud Forest. The story follows the relationship between a young narrator and an older figure known only as “Umpa” (perhaps a portmanteau of “Uncle” and “Grandpa”). Visiting Umpa is a special treat, for his garden provides warmth and vitality and his tales offer doorways into wondrous new worlds. There comes the day, however, when the kindly old storyteller is no longer there, and the child is plunged into sorrow. However, the two are spiritually reunited through the books Umpa has left behind. Turnbull pairs her soothing text with rich, sweeping art in graphite and colored pencil, creating a celebration of love, loss, and the enduring power of the written word. #cloud #forest #word #words #story #stories #family #grief #death #love #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks