Head in the Clouds

"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

"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