Day 71: Cloud Kid

Cloud Kid
by
Matt Zurbo

(Cloud Kid is a children’s book without words. I love them! They teach kids to interpret what they see, provide room for imagination, and better convey a sense of storytelling over just dialogue. And kids and parents can have fun making up their own words!)

 

Cloud Kid, everything about him is cloud-coloured. He is surrounded by clouds, as he drifts from one cloud peek to another.

Group of cloud kids fishing, line disappearing into cloud. Kids excited. Our Cloud Kid on the outer, being ignored.

Grey and white cloud dragon rearing through cloud, fishing line in its mouth, chasing cloud kids. Dragon is flying right past our (cowering) Cloud Kid as if he wasn’t there.

Group of cloud kids throwing another cloud kid into the air, with a beautiful sunset backdrop. All the clouds are white and orange, as are the cloud kids. Our Cloud Kid is sitting n a cloud plume, watching, none of the others are paying him any attention.

Cloud Kid watches the giant cloud blacksmiths forging lightening. Cloud turning to black beneath them. Cloud Kid has small hammer he is holding in two-handed grip, but is being ignored.

A group of cloud people are watching the moonrise, pale, not fully formed, through the light blue twilight clouds. Cloud Kid is trying to join them, but one of the cloud people is watching the moon rise, while reaching his hand back to shoo Cloud Kid away.

Cloud Kid balancing on the edge of a huge hole in the clouds.

Cloud Kid falling. (Rising moon in background)

Cloud kid falling, ground approaching.

Cloud Kid landing in dam, scattering ducks and pigs.

Cloud kid standing on earth, lifting one foot to better look down at ground, puzzled. A few little red stars representing pain are coming from his foot. A thought bubble is above his head. In it is the image of him smiling, bouncing on a soft cloud as if it were a trampoline.

Cloud Kid leaping off barn roof, hay beneath him, but he is falling, arms and legs everywhere. Thought bubble is of him flying up. Puzzled farm boy and dog are watching him.

Cloud Kid’s kegs poking out of top of hay. Talk bubble from Cloud Kid is of comic black cloud and lightening, and a few pain stars. There are three think bubbles, smaller, with question marks, or question and exclamation marks in them, also coming from Cloud Kid. Farm boy running to public phone.

Paramedic on knee, looking at scruffed Cloud Kid. Talk bubble from paramedic has image of cloud kid and a mother and father and a question mark. Talk bubble from Cloud Kid has hand in it, finger pointing to cloud above.

Confused Cloud Kid being carried by elbows to orphanage, by a security guard and a burly orderly. Cloud Kid thought bubble has question mark in it.

Cloud Kid sitting on ground, crying buckets of tears while Boy and Girl orphan pair watch, confused. Girl is rubbing his back. Talk bubble has Cloud Kid standing under cloud of rain.

Cloud Kid talking as two kids listening, with another approaching. Talk bubble is of him standing on a cloud. Laughing, as if being tickled, as ducks fly by.

Three kids around Cloud Kid, with stern looking orderly being lead by a few more kids pointing to Cloud Kid, approaching. Talk bubble is of Cloud Kid flying upside down, arching over sun, back into cloud, smiling.

About six kids, and orderly, around Cloud Kid as he talks, more kids, and security guard approaching. Talk bubble is of Cloud Kid lying on cloud, dreamily watching cloud giant bang huge cloud base drum, while beneath him lightening falls.

All orphanage kids, two orderlies and security guard around Cloud Kid as he talks. Talk balloon of him riding a beautiful, big, cloud-blue cloud fish, through blue-white clouds, various other cloud fish about.

Stern looking old lady with 50s glasses on, marching towards startled Cloud Kid as other kids run away, leaving only puffs of dust. Lady has talk bubbles. In each one is an image. 1. Cloud Kid’s face with a zip where the mouth should be. 2. A bed. 3. A straight jacket. 4. A cage. 5. Exclamation mark.

Cloud Kid running.

Cloud Kid on his bum, wincing, bump on head, beside orphanage wall. Stern Lady standing over/pointing at him. Orderly and security guard reaching for him. Cloud Kid’s talk bubble is of him walking through a cloud wall. Two lesser talk bubbles of question marks. One talk bubble of exclamation mark. Another full of red pain stars. 

Night, Cloud Kid in bed, uncomfortable, pain stars coming from his back. Thought bubble of bed made of cinder blocks. Three faces, very shadowed, barely recognisable as Girl, Boy and orderly, can be seen peeking at him through window.

Kids on orphanage side or wall making a human ladder, while security guard watches out, Cloud Kid on top of wall, staring at beautiful moon and clouds. Orderly reaching up to putting money in his hand, First Boy and Girl from orphanage lowering themselves down other side with tied sheets.

Three kids huddled. Boy is talking, wide-eyed excited. Boy talk bubbles have; 1. Cloud Kid being fired out of a circus cannon. 2. Could Kid being blown a few feet up from a giant up-facing fan. 3. Cloud Kid lassoing a satellite. 4. Cloud kid on a trampoline. Cloud Kid is looking a bit surprised at Girl. His talk bubble is of a question mark.
Girl has knowing grin. Her talk bubble is of hiking gear. Boots, walking stick, water flask, backpack.

Kids paying store owner for gear. Boy and Girl are wearing theirs. Cloud Kid is dressed as always. Girl’s talk bubble is of thumbs up. Boy’s is of money flying away. Cloud kid’s is of cloud.

Girl, Boy and Cloud Kid in profile as they hike up mountain. Ferns and shrubs about. Clouds in distance/up high. Cloud Kid looks exhausted.

Girl, Boy and Cloud Kid profile as they hike up mountain, only now it is nothing but rocks. Boy and girl are red-faced, huffing, puffing, sweaty. Cloud Kid is looking straight ahead/up, determined. The clouds are level with them now.

Girl and Boy exhausted at rocky mountain top. Boy is sitting, panting. Girl is hugging Cloud Kid good-bye. Cloud kid is standing on cloud off of rocks, leaning down to hug girl.

Cloud kid popping up, out of cloud. Startled cloud community turning to see him.

Cloud Kid talking, animated, while others sit and laze in clouds around him (including storm giants and dragon, and a few cloud fish). Talk balloon is of his finger, bent back a bit, as it touches a brick wall, pain stars coming off it.

View from behind Cloud Kid as he talks. All we can see of him is his back as, in front of him, listening in awe, we can see the jaw-open, goggle-eyed faces of cloud people, a dragon and storm gods.

Cloud Kid sleeping, tucked into cloud, as, in background, cloud dragon flies out from clouds, and over moon.

 

The End.