With The Cloud you can create your own story as you make your way through this wordless picture book about how to handle big feelings and emotions like anxiety, grief, and fear, perfect for children ages three to five. Find two sample stories below!

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The Cloud – Sample storyline (basic version) 

*This story is a work of fiction and is intended to inspire readers of The Cloud to create stories of their own. 

One day, when Mateo was playing in his room, a fluffy little cloud floated in through the window.

Curious, Mateo reached up to poke it, but it was just a little bit too high! 

So he tried jumping. It swooped up out of reach!

He tried again, and again the cloud lifted high above his head where he couldn’t touch it. 

Hmm, Mateo thought. Maybe I should just ignore it. But when he looked back at the cloud, it seemed even bigger than before. 

He opened his bedroom door. The cloud slipped out and drifted down the hallway. 

Mateo followed it into the kitchen. It was definitely getting bigger. There was no way he could ignore it!

In the living room, the cloud grew as big as the couch! 

This is no good, thought Mateo. Mama and Papa will not want a giant cloud in the house. I have to get rid of it somehow. 

The cloud was now so big and heavy, Mateo could push it through the door. He huffed and puffed and used all of his strength. Finally, with a thud, Mateo was able to shut the door. 

Phew! he thought. I’m glad the cloud is gone. 

But then, he felt something…something very much like a shadow.

He looked up. “The cloud!” he shouted. It was huge! 

Mateo felt a little scared with the giant cloud hovering over him. For a while he didn’t know what to do. Then he thought of something his Mama and Papa once told him: “Work through it, not against it.” 

Well, he thought. I’ll try going through it, then. 

So he placed his hands upon the big, heavy cloud and found a little gap. 

He climbed inside. 

It was dark and blue and never-ending inside the cloud. Mateo felt very alone. 

The shadows crept like ghosts! Mateo took several deep breaths and reminded himself to keep working through it. 

Even though it was scary, Mateo kept moving through the cloud. 

Just when he thought, I’ll be trapped like this forever! Mateo fell right out of the cloud and onto the ground of his bedroom. 

“Whoooaa…oof!” exclaimed Mateo. He looked up at the cloud. 

Somehow it was even bigger than before! He could barely see any of his bedroom. 

“I won’t let you keep hanging over me like this!” Mateo said.

He took a colored pencil from the floor and gave the cloud a great big poke. 

Boom! Clap! All of a sudden, it started raining in his bedroom! 

Mateo shouted in surprise and covered his head.

He realized that the more it rained, the more the cloud was disappearing. He could see more and more of his bedroom! The sight made him want to jump for joy. So he did.

Then he noticed light coming in through his window, growing brighter and brighter. The rain was stopping. 

“I did it!” Mateo said as the last raindrop fell. Soon, warm sunshine filled his room. 

Mateo knew that the next time he encountered a cloud, he would know exactly how to handle it. 

The End 

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The Cloud – Sample storyline (specific version) 

*This story is a work of fiction and is intended to inspire readers of The Cloud to create stories of their own. 

Mateo was playing in his room, trying to avoid the fact that he was feeling nervous. Mama and Papa had told him that he had a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, and he did not like going to the doctor’s office! He was trying to focus on fun things, but the nervous feeling just wouldn’t go away. 

It was like having a little cloud hanging over his head. No matter how he jumped and waved his hands, the cloud of nerves would not go away!

Ignoring the cloud didn’t work either. In fact, each time he looked up at the cloud, it seemed even bigger than before! 

I’ll just leave it in the room, Mateo thought. But when he opened his bedroom door, the cloud slipped out and down the hallway. 

“Hey!” Mateo said. He followed it as it slid into the kitchen. It was definitely getting bigger. There was no way he could ignore it!

In the living room, the cloud grew as big as the couch! Mateo could feel the nervousness expanding in his tummy and his chest like it was taking over. This was not a nice feeling.  

This is no good, thought Mateo. I have to get rid of the cloud somehow. 

The cloud was now so big and heavy, Mateo could push it through the door. He huffed and puffed and used all of his strength. Finally, with a thud, Mateo was able to shut the door. 

Phew! he thought. I’m glad the cloud is gone. 

But then, he felt something…something very much like nervousness. “Oh no…”

He looked up. “The cloud!” he shouted. It was huge! 

Mateo’s heart was pounding. Now he felt both nervous and scared. For a while, he didn’t know what to do. Then he thought of something his Mama and Papa once told him: “Let yourself feel your emotions. Don’t push them away.”

Well, he thought. I’ll try to feel it, then. 

So he placed his hands upon the big, heavy cloud and found a little gap. 

He climbed inside. 

It was dark and blue and never-ending inside the cloud. Mateo felt very alone, very nervous, and very scared. 

The shadows were like  ghosts inside Mateo’s head, saying, “What if…what if…what if…” and imagining scary things that might happen at the doctor’s office. Mateo took several deep breaths and reminded himself to keep working through his emotions. 

Even though it was scary, Mateo kept moving through the cloud. “What ifs aren’t real,” he reminded himself. 

Just when he thought, I’ll be trapped like this forever! Mateo fell right out of the cloud and onto the ground of his bedroom. 

“Whoooaa…oof!” exclaimed Mateo. He looked up at the cloud. 

Somehow, it was even bigger than before! He could barely see any of his bedroom. 

“I won’t let you keep hanging over me like this!” Mateo said.

He took a colored pencil from the floor and gave the cloud a great big poke. 

Boom! Clap! All of a sudden, it started raining in his bedroom! 

Mateo shouted in surprise and covered his head.

He realized that the more it rained, the more the cloud was disappearing. He could see more and more of his bedroom! He also noticed the bad feelings in his tummy and chest fading away. This made him want to jump for joy. So he did.

Then he noticed light coming in through his window, growing brighter and brighter. The rain was stopping. 

“I did it!” Mateo said, as the last raindrop fell. Soon warm sunshine filled his room. 

Mateo knew that the next time he felt nervous or scared, he would know exactly how to handle it. 

The End