Head in the Clouds - by Rocio Araya (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Sofâia goes to school every day but she still has a lot of questions. Why are grown-ups always in a rush? What number comes after infinity? Sofâia's teacher says she has her head in the clouds, she's seeing birds...When [Sofâia gives one of her birds to her teacher, her teacher's monochrome world of blank paper and gray lines bursts into color, affirming the joy and necessity of always being curious"--

Book Synopsis

With her head in the clouds, Sofía has questions that even her teacher can't answer - a joyful and inquisitive book about the vibrant worlds inside our minds

Sofía goes to school every day but she still has a lot of questions. Why are grown-ups always in a rush? What number comes after infinity? Sofía's teacher says she has her head in the clouds, she's seeing birds. In collages of graph paper, worksheets, and newsprint, punctuated by scratches of graphite and bold swaths of bright paint, Sofía's world springs to life. When she gives one of her birds to her teacher, her teacher's monochrome world of blank paper and gray lines bursts into color, affirming the joy and necessity of always being curious. Inquisitive children, with a supply of questions as limitless as their imagination, will recognize themselves in Sofía, delighting in pondering her questions - and in coming up with more of their own.

Originally a painter, Rocío Araya turned to illustration where the field of possibilities, she feels, is infinite. With a style that is spontaneous and full of surprises, her boundless imagination is at work in these exhilarating pages. Look for a tiny, curled, brown cat and an expansive night sky, and spot a hula-girl dancing across a geography worksheet. This treasure hunt of a book is one for reading again and again.

Review Quotes

"A graceful look at the power of harnessing the limitless possibilities of life."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"Araya, making her English-language debut in this work reminiscent of Jostein Gaarder's Questions Asked, imagines a dreamy student and an on-task teacher clashing in the classroom . . . Fine art spreads combine sly, childlike line drawing, collage, and fiercely stroked paint that suggests the greens of institutional corridors and the free, endless blue of the sky." - Publishers Weekly

"Creative and pleasant . . . Adults wishing to reach children with the story may approach it one-on-one to open fruitful conversations." -- School Library Journal

"In the seemingly simple text and child-like artistic style, a poetry and profoundness evolve. By the last pages, the reader has witnessed a subtle openness in the teacher (and quite possibly in the reader) to accept the bird Sofía offers and this gesture's invitation to follow Sofía and her classmates outdoors." -- Michelle Nott

"Araya's mixed-media artwork is a highlight of the book. The illustrations beautifully capture the chaotic yet vibrant world inside Sofía's mind." -- Momma Braga Blog

"In Head in the Clouds, we're treated to a lively exchange between a hidebound schoolteacher and a feisty student, the latter of whom requests time out from their regular classroom routine so she can ask some of the burning questions that have been building up inside her . . . Araya's preference for coloring outside the lines, for painting in bold, broad, thickly applied brushstrokes and for combining paint with a well-choreographed jumble of collaged, sketched and hand-lettered elements points to the value of remaining fearlessly open to life's accidents and surprises." -- Leonard Marcus, New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Rocío Araya is a self-taught illustrator from Bilbao, Spain. In 2016, her illustrations for Head in the Clouds were selected for Ilustrarte, an international biennial exhibition of children's book illustration in Lisbon. She has held more than twenty exhibitions in Spain, France, and Chile. Head in the Clouds is her debut work in English.

Sarah Moses is a translator from Spanish and Asymptote's editor-at-large for Argentina. In 2018, her co-translation of Ariana Harwicz's novel Die, My Love was longlisted for the International Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. She has also translated Agustina Bazterrica, Paula Rodriguez, and many others. Her co-translation with Anne McLean of Julio Cortázar's letters is forthcoming with Archipelago.