Inspiring and full of positive messages, this
exquisite book carries themes of strength, courage, patience, hope and the
healing power of the imagination.
Frankie is an active and fun loving girl; a leader
who lives life to the fullest, and allows her imagination to run free. When she
is thrown a challenge in the form of illness, Frankie must wait until she is
able once again, to pick up her life.
She sees beauty in everything, ‘even on the darkest
of days’. She looks at and listens to the natural world on the other side of
her window; sees moving animal shapes in the clouds free and full of life, and
imagines herself being that way.
The lush green meadows filled with bright coloured
flowers are metaphors for the hope that Frankie holds inside her. Each image
carries its own music to her, and she becomes one with it all. While the
seasons pass, Frankie waits.
While she waits, she shares her experiences with
others so they too, can see through her eyes, the beauty that sustains her.
This emotive story is sad yet filled with joy and
hope. It demonstrates how children are able to find ways to embrace life even
during the most painful and challenging times. Ann-Marie Finn’s thoughtful
illustrations have captured the essence of Frankie’s feelings and how she deals
with them.
The use of bold outlines and contrasting colours - darkness
for the difficult days, and the flame-coloured autumn leaves for change and
progress, are beautifully depicted. The frosted images that represent Frankie’s
imagination are brilliant.
Title:
Cloud Conductor
Author:
Kellie Byrnes
Illustrator:
Ann-Marie Finn
Publisher:
Wombat Books
Publication
Date: May 2018, $24.99
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781925563344
For
ages: 5+
Type:
Picture Book
