The Other Side of the Clouds by Matt Samuel & Tamlyn Teow

All Finn can hear is the voice of his own sadness and at times it is overwhelming. The faint pulse of hope visits but never stays. Longing to find it, Finn rides a kite into the dark sky, calling its name. He sails over crashing waves, searching for it, but loneliness is his only reply. A storm rages inside him until underneath its thunder, he hears a whisper and determines to take hold of every beautiful note and weave them into a joy that won’t be contained … Through evocative illustrations and lyrical prose, this beautiful story reminds us there is always hope on the other side of the clouds.

The Other Side of the Clouds is the debut picture book for author Matt Samuel. Illustrated by the talented Tamlyn Teow and published by Riveted Press, it’s a gorgeous and heartfelt story about grief, loss and most importantly, hope. Finn struggles to smile. All around him, he sees his sadness. When he looks at the sky, he sees his sadness climb to the other side of the clouds. Even though the world is beautiful, he still can’t find his joy.

Until he begins to hear a tune emerging – the ‘subtle beat of hope.’ This glimmer of hope starts to find him in different parts of his life. But at first, his sadness still erases this glimmer. Finn thinks it must be trapped by his unhappiness. He seeks his joy everywhere, feels alone, lets the ‘storm rage inside’ of himself. He lets his feelings out, but still he doesn’t feel right. He digs deeper, determined to find the glimmer of hope. Until eventually, his joy rises into a melody that climbs to ‘the other side of the clouds.’ He can finally set his sadness free.

The combination of Tamlyn’s soft, pastel pallete and Matt’s use of music as a metaphor for Finn’s sadness and hope, create a beautiful and lyrical story. Pinks and purples soften the difficult subject matter. The use of storms, rain and clouds to describe emotions will connect with young readers and enable parents to discuss feelings with their children. The idea that you can look both inside and out for help with processing difficult emotions is both empowering and insightful. There is also a message that solace is not a terrible thing and that in fact, it’s in those moments of solitude, that you can truly hear the beauty.

I adored this gorgeous picture book. Recommended for ages 5+ and should be read with parents or teachers to support discussion around difficult emotions.

Helen