The Clouds Above by Jordan Crane - review

I've been heading up a Graphic Novels Appreciation Club at the elementary school. Lots of Sardine in Outer Space, lots of Tomo. Today while they tried out aaron renier's Spiral-Bound (well received) and John Lechner's Sticky Burr (less so), I read The Clouds Above. I think Jordan Crane used to do a mini-comic that I read: miserable blobby people walking around, occasionally with knives. Well, Jordan Crane has come a long way.

The Clouds Above by Jordan Crane
It's square. It's fat. There's one panel per page. There's a gigantic fat cat named Jack and a scrawny kid in a striped t-shirt with a big mop of white hair named Simon. They go up into the clouds, make friends, and deliver to the teacher her just deserts.

It's beautiful. Without being, you know, a "beautiful" book. It's "Little Nemo" - esque, without being self-conscious or claustrophobic. I'd say it's the opposite of claustrophobic, in fact. There's a great love for space here, making it a calming book to read even though it's exciting.

It's dedicated to Andalucia and Skeezix - if those are Jordan Crane's kids then I married the wrong person. I assume they're Jordan Crane's cats.

I really wish I could con more kids into reading it.