The Cloud Princess wonders about life on the Earth in this original ecological fairy-tale from Vietnamese artist Khoa Le, eventually venturing down to see it herself after hearing it described by Miss Sun. Enchanted by the beauty of what she sees, the Cloud Princess descends lower and lower, until she begins to feel lightheaded, and begins to disintegrate into tiny rain drops. Ascending again, lest she be completely undone, the heavenly princess nevertheless retains her interest in the Earth, visiting again from time to time and bringing the Spring Rain with her...

Originally published in Switzerland as Princesse des nuages, this lovely picture-book was translated into English by the California-based Insight Kids. It isn't clear to me, even after doing some research, whether it was also published in its creator's native Vietnam, where she apparently lives and exhibits her work. Leaving that aside, the text of The Cloud Princess is simple and engaging, combining fairy-tale elements reminiscent of mythology - anthropomorphized celestial beings, for instance - with scientific concepts such as rain coming from clouds. The artwork is beautiful, with a vibrant color scheme and sweet, somewhat cartoon-like figures. I was charmed by this first book from Khao Le and, as I understand other titles have recently been translated, plan to seek out more of her work. ( )