Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White

by Saumiya Balasubramaniam, Eva Campbell (Illustrator)

Overview

A child’s joy on a snowy day finally helps her mother feel at home in their new country

A little girl and her mother walk home from school on a snowy winter day.

“So much snow,” says Ma. “So monochromatic.”

“Mono crow what?” her daughter replies.

Ma misses the sun, warmth and colors of their faraway homeland, but her daughter sees magic in everything — the clouds in the winter sky, the “firework” display when she throws an armful of snow into the air, making snow angels, tasting snowflakes. And in the end, her joy is contagious. Home is where family is, after all.

This gently layered, beautifully illustrated story unfolds as a conversation between a mother and daughter and will resonate with readers across generations.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773062587
Publisher:	Groundwood Books
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 10.75(h) x 0.35(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

SAUMIYA BALASUBRAMANIAM is the author of two picture books, When I Found Grandma, illustrated by Qin Leng (finalist for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award) and Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White (Skipping Stones Honor Book). Her stories are loosely inspired by her own family experiences. Saumiya was born in Mumbai, India, and now lives in Toronto, Ontario.

EVA CAMPBELL is an artist and illustrator who teaches visual art. She has exhibited her work in Canada, the US, the UK, Barbados and Ghana. Eva won the Children’s Africana Book Award for her illustrations in The Matatu by Eric Walters. She also illustrated Africville by Shauntay Grant, winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration, and a Governor General’s Literary Award finalist. Eva lives in Victoria.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for author Saumiya Balasubramaniam and illustrator Eva Campbell and Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White:

Commended Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2021
Commended CCBC Choice, 2021
CBC Books Best Canadian Picture Books of 2020
Toronto Public Library First and Best, 2020
FOLD Kids Book of the Month, December 2020
Canadian Children’s Book Centre Favourite Reads of 2020
OLA Best Bets Honourable Mention, 2020

“Stellar seasonal picture books, like these, do more than celebrate changes in weather. They are essentially exercises in mindfulness, helping readers find variety, beauty, and moments of gratitude at all times of year.” — Quill & Quire

“An excellent addition to library story-reading programs, especially those which welcome minority parents. This story will definitely encourage some meaningful reflections and thought-provoking conversations.” — CM Review of Materials

“Snow may be cold but Saumiya Balasubramaniam and Eva Campbell's Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White creates the warmth of family and acceptance.” — CanLit for Little Canadians

“[A] poignant story.” — Canadian Children’s Book News

“[A] thoughtful, beautiful story about home, belonging, and love.” — Open Book

“The pictures here are exceptional.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“[E]mpowering.” — Bit About Books Blog

“A classic in the making!” — Storytime With Stephanie Blog

Praise for author Saumiya Balasubramaniam and illustrator Qin Leng for When I Found Grandma:

“Discovering and embracing differences leads to stronger bonds between family members, Balasubramaniam asserts in this subtle, heartfelt story.” — Publishers Weekly

“Balasubramaniam’s honest first-person text and Leng’s soft line-and-color illustrations — which deftly and sympathetically convey the intensity of Maya’s feelings — explore familial love and the intricacies of cross-cultural and intergenerational relationships between very young children and their grandparents.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This gently moving story explores cross-cultural connections in a deeply meaningful way and Leng’s ink and watercolour illustrations wonderfully extend the story.” — Globe and Mail

Praise for author Shauntay Grant and illustrator Eva Campbell for Africville:

“This story celebrates the beauty and joy of the community seen through a child’s eyes. … There is both pride and longing expressed in the lyrical text, and the vibrant colors and friendly compositions of the oil and pastel illustrations immerse readers in this community.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“Visually, Africville is gorgeous. Eva Campbell’s illustrations are arresting; the colours are warm and inviting, and her painterly style enhances the dreamlike quality of the story.” — Quill & Quire, starred review

“Through the poem, readers visit this sparkling seaside community …. Grant’s evocative descriptions are perfectly matched in tone and timbre with Campbell’s vibrant oil-and-pastel renderings of the town and its residents.” — Booklist

Editorial Reviews

[E]mpowering.

Bit About Books Blog