How Sad Days Became Storybook Friends: The Gentle Strength Behind The Tale of The Little Black Cloud

When a child feels overwhelmed by sadness, adults often rush to fix it or brush it away. Yet what if those heavy feelings needed something different – not dismissal, but recognition? Karen Brough discovered this truth during Melbourne’s lockdowns when she glanced up at the sky whilst caring for her unwell family and spotted a solitary black cloud. ‘That lone little black cloud became almost as real to me as my own feelings,’ she recalls. That moment of connection would become The Tale of The Little Black Cloud, a picture book that gives voice to the emotions children often struggle to express.

Melbourne’s extended COVID lockdowns created a unique kind of family stress. Households became isolated worlds where parents juggled work, homeschooling and health worries whilst children watched their emotional and behavioural difficulties increase, according to Australian Institute of Family Studies research. During this period, 27-44% of Victorian parents reported moderate to severe depression, anxiety and stress symptoms themselves.

Writing became her way of processing what felt unmanageable. The little black cloud that caught her attention wasn’t a villain in her story, but a gentle character carrying weight that felt familiar. Like other children’s books tackling emotional wellbeing, this approach of portraying sadness as natural and manageable helps young readers visualise complex feelings.

Tears That Need Their Say

The heart of Brough’s story lies in validation. ‘Tears are important. Don’t toss them away. They need to come out and have their say,’ reads one of the book’s most memorable lines. This message directly challenges the adult impulse to quickly comfort upset children by minimising their feelings.

The story follows the cloud’s encounter with a wise duck friend in red boots, whose kindness helps lift the emotional weight. Their friendship shows how connection – not instruction or correction – often provides the comfort children need. Brough drew inspiration from Psalm 56:8, where tears are collected and valued, but her storytelling focuses on comfort rather than preaching.

Recognition From Those Who Know

The book’s impact extends beyond individual families. Lucy Holmes, Senior Announcer at The Light FM, captured many readers’ sentiment: ‘This was the book I needed – right when I needed it.’ Teacher Carolyn Tonkin believes ‘this book should be on every library shelf in the country,’ whilst educators praise its classroom applications.

The book recently won the 2025 Christian Indie Award in the Children’s Picture Book category, adding to its earlier WCCW Goldie Award. Such recognition places it alongside other picture books celebrating family life and emotional wellbeing that help children navigate complex feelings.

Visual Tenderness

Lori Boag’s watercolour illustrations complement the story’s gentle approach. The soft textures and muted colours create visual calm, whilst hidden hearts scattered throughout the pages offer a quiet activity for children who need gentle engagement. This design consideration acknowledges that children experiencing difficult emotions might need both comfort and distraction.

The book works equally well for bedtime reading and moments when children feel upset. Parents and educators appreciate having a resource that doesn’t require crisis-level emotion to be relevant. Sometimes children simply need stories that acknowledge feeling sad without requiring dramatic resolution or explanation.

The Author’s Understanding

Brough brings particular insight to children’s emotional needs through her background as both educator and mother. Her willingness to channel personal vulnerability into something useful for others reflects an understanding that children benefit when adults model emotional honesty. Rather than presenting herself as an expert dispensing advice, she offers companionship through shared experience.

Her approach aligns with guidance from healing and belonging that grow from small everyday acts – emphasising that children cope better when caregivers acknowledge difficulties whilst providing consistent emotional support.

The Tale of The Little Black Cloud offers families something increasingly valuable – permission for sadness to exist without immediately fixing it. Available in multiple formats including audiobook, the story includes additional support through a free companion workbook for families wanting extended activities.

For parents seeking gentle ways to discuss emotions with young children, or teachers needing classroom resources that validate rather than instruct, this cloud’s journey offers exactly the kind of tender strength that both children and adults sometimes need to find.