Today is the official publication day of The Cloud That Stuck, wonderfully illustrated by Dorothy Leung, and I’m thrilled it’s out in the world!

Recently, I participated in a panel chat with Charlesbridge editor Gabriela Baron and authors Paloma Angelina Lopez and Lesléa Newman about writing difficult topics in picture books. Here are a few of Gabriela’s questions with my responses.

What is this book about?

In this fiction picture book, Tansy has a cloud stuck over her head, blocking the sun. She yells at it and tries to outrace it on her bike. Everyone tries to help get rid of it. But the cloud won’t budge. Then it rains on her, and Tansy forgets what sunshine feels like.

Inspired by my experiences with mental health, this book is for anyone who has faced challenges beyond their control. Some clouds just won’t go away. But we can find ways to live with them.

In deciding to write these stories, was there a specific child, moment, or experience that made you feel this book needed to exist?

I grew up with a caring mother who was also depressive, anxious, dissociating, and suicidal at times. No one knew that her mental health challenges stemmed from abuse she faced as a child—until I was in high school. In the decades since, as she has gradually come to terms with her past—as much as one can—I’ve become more aware of the intergenerational trauma that impacts my family. For me, it has manifested at various times as depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, or disordered eating.

So a series of specific moments in my family life sparked this story. I wrote it for the times as a child when I felt confused by the sudden arrival of mental health challenges within myself and those around me. Why was my mother behaving that way? Why did I not want to get out of bed or go to school? These moments seemed to arrive at random because I didn’t understand their source, and they felt…well…like a cloud that had stuck. This book is my attempt to capture how a moment like that feels and how we can cope with it.

When you began writing, who were you holding in mind—the child, the caregiver, or even both? Why?

I was holding in my mind the child me who was confused, scared, and uncertain about events happening around and within me. I was holding my own daughters in mind as I supported them through their own challenges. I was holding my sister in mind. And of course, my mother. We are all wounded. And we all hold incredible strength.

Were there scenes or themes that required careful revision to make sure they felt honest but appropriate for children?

I discovered that I needed to stay close to the weather metaphor. My scenes needed to stay focused on the child’s experience of overwhelming weather. For example, at first, Tansy tries to shoo the cloud away. She asks the wind to blow it away. She asks her dad to pull it off. Tansy remains active. She problem-solves. Her attempts are child-centred.

I did lose my way with this manuscript for a while when I tried to personify the Wind and the Cloud. The problem was that readers kept asking about their motivations. Why did the Wind blow in the Cloud, then vanish? How did the Cloud feel about Tansy shooing it away? Those drafts strayed too far from my weather metaphor. In the end, wind and cloud needed to be natural, not fantastic characters, to reflect a child’s reality and authentic experience.

What misconceptions do adults sometimes have about children’s ability to handle difficult subjects? And did you feel any tension or hesitation in challenging those ideas through your book?

I think that adults want to protect child readers from harm, and sometimes, they can take that too far. Sometimes, they may block child readers from books with authentic childhood experiences because the adult deems them as too difficult. Other times, an adult’s own biases may get in the way of allowing child readers to self-select books.

I think any subject a child can experience may be explored in a picture book. The question is: How to explore that through the child’s lens? How to care for the child reader?

Imagine if I had found books as a child that had reflected my experiences. They would have been a relief. They would have shown me I wasn’t alone. They would have felt like a warm hug and a supportive conversation. This is why I include the full spectrum of childhood experiences in my books. For the children who need these books.

Writing about mental health for children requires immense research and thought. How did you approach explaining something ongoing and complex in a way that feels accessible and truthful?

First, I want to say that research and thought are partly experiential. Writing about mental health starts with compassion and self-awareness. Creators need to do their personal work as well as their research.

Second, I think writers need to resist conveying a message to young readers and instead leave space for them to intuit meaning from the story events. I prefer to leave a question in the mind of the reader rather than dictating a message to them. What if you faced a problem that couldn’t be solved? How would that feel? What would you do?

I respect that young readers can find their own answers to these questions. But when revising, I also needed to carefully consider what responses my story was pointing to. I purposely crafted an ending where the cloud never went away and never stopped raining. This story has no magical fix. Yet Tansy finds her way forward. She plants a garden and waters it with her raincloud.

What kind of conversations do you hope your stories open between the readers and their adults?

I hope my story opens communication about big feelings. How heavy and endless they can be. How despair can sink in, or panic. And also, I hope it opens questions about what we can do when emotions feel beyond our control. We do have actions we can take to help tomorrow be a better day, even if it’s only planting seeds that will bloom later. If it’s raining, we can wear rain gear. If we’re sad, we can lift ourselves through daily actions and we can reach out to others for support.

In my home, stoicism is a common topic of conversation. The Cloud That Stuck is my love song to stoicism as a way to cope with challenges beyond my control. I hope it sparks age-appropriate stoic conversations between readers and their adults.

What would you say to writers who are hesitant to tackle heavy topics for young readers?

We owe our young readers a true reflection of themselves and their world—through our fiction and our nonfiction. That comes with heavy topics.

Every writing craft decision we make can be viewed by thinking about how it serves either the reader and/or the story. Your book will better serve your readers when it conveys the full spectrum of a child’s life, including difficult experiences. Your book will also better serve the reader when you look at how your craft choices care for the reader as they journey through the story.

If you could tell every child who reads your book one thing directly, what would it be?

I would ask them: What would you do if a cloud stuck over your head and wouldn’t go away? What if it started to rain? And then, I would listen. I bet it would spark a fascinating conversation.

Want more? You can view the “Hard Topics Panel below:

To order The Cloud That Stuck:

I’m having a picture book launch party with creators Farida Zaman and Dorothy Leung! Please join us at Mabel’s Fables’ new location on May 4th as we celebrate our new picture books, including One Cosmic Rock, Samina Goes to a Wedding, and The Cloud That Stuck.

Date: May 4, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:30PM
Place: Mabel’s Fables
Address: 540 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto

Many years ago, I began a prose novel for teens that just never worked, even after multiple rewrites. Later, I tried writing it as a novel in letters. Finally, I began writing it as a verse novel. It took a while to learn this new-to-me form. I took courses with author Cordelia Jensen and later with author Laura Shovan, and they both helped me trust myself and my poetry. Plus, many beta readers helped me hone the text. Now, I’m thrilled to share the news that this story has found a home!

I’m forever grateful to my agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown, who has been a passionate champion of this verse novel from her first read. And I’m thrilled to be working with author and editor Sarah Howden, designer Dahlia Yuen, and everyone at Orca Books to bring you Forever Fries. It’s a book of my heart. It’s a book loosely based on personal and family history. It’s a book that I hope will help us all shine our light and celebrate the light in everyone else too.

Want to Revise Your Picture Book Manuscript?

Thanks to writer and editor Jesse Weiner for hosting me on her Inksations blog! Please check out my guest post, “Deconstruction and Reconstruction: A Primer on Picture Book Revision.” Do you have a picture book manuscript you want to revise, but you’re unsure where to begin? My article will help deconstruct what you’ve written so you can reconstruct it with intention. While you’re there, please consider subscribing to Jesse’s newsletter, which is jam-packed with writing calls, gigs, articles, interviews, and more.

Looking for More Insights?

You can also check out my upcoming Revise Your Picture Book Manuscripts course through Whale Rock Workshops. I would love to see you there! For more info, go to Whale Rock Workshops or message me to chat.

Latest Reviews

One Cosmic Rock

“This vibrant, engaging book provides the perfect introduction to the last day of the dinosaurs and the resilience of life on Earth.”
Professor Paul M. Barrett, Natural History Museum, London, England

“A joyous, lyrical celebration of planetary life.”
Kirkus Reviews

Coming February 17, 2026!

The Cloud That Stuck

“A gentle, hopeful picture book about mental health and resilience, following Tansy as she learns to live with a cloud that won’t leave her side. With support, creativity, and self-acceptance, she discovers that even stormy days can bring growth, friendship, and beauty.”
MaiStoryBook

“A heartwarming and convincing tale for kids seeking to ride out life’s rainclouds.”
Kirkus Reviews

Coming April 14, 2026!

My Street Remembers

“In clear, age-appropriate language, My StreetRemembers acknowledges injustices and harm, and invites us to do better. This is a gorgeous, moving story for readers of all ages.”
Erin Dalton, Huckleberry Books, Quill & Quire Notable Books 2025

“Local history comes alive when we think back to who lived on the land before our houses were built.”
Harriet Zaidman, Winnipeg Free Press, A Best Book of 2025

Available Now!

I’m honoured by this feature article in The Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Book News magazine. It was written with sensitivity by a writer I greatly admire—Heather Camlot. Her books are excellent, so please seek them out. In “A Road Less Travelled,” Heather speaks with illustrator Cathie Jamieson and me about how our unconventional teamwork shaped our new book, My Street Remembers.

Heather writes, “Relationships and connections are at the heart of My Street Remembers, through its marriage of words and illustrations and through the teamwork of the author and illustrator…. My Street Remembers is the result of distinct cultural identities and the sharing of perspectives. The book ends with the line, ‘What does your street remember?’ But the question is really an introduction, an invitation to readers to discover the diverse communities of their neighbourhood—past, present and future.”

You can read the full article by becoming a member of the CCBC—an organization well worth supporting—or by purchasing an individual copy.

Notable Book

In other news, My Street Remembers was a Quill & Quire Notable Book 2025 as well as a Winnipeg Free Press Best Book of 2025.

Radio Interviews

It was also on the radio! You can listen to our radio interviews here:

• CBC Radio “Here and Now” Interview with Karen Krossing
• CBC Radio “Up North” Interview with Cathie Jamieson and Karen Krossing

More Media Interviews

• Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation with Cathie Jamieson and Karen Krossing
• Process Talk with author Uma Krishnaswami: Karen Krossing on My Street Remembers
• Interview with Karen Krossing, by author Debbie Ridpath Ohi
• Karen Krossing Introduces My Street Remembers

Education Resources

• Classroom-Ready Resources (Groundwood Books)
• Cantastic Authorpalooza post with Karen Krossing (includes activity ideas for parents and teachers)

Revise Your Picture Book Manuscripts

Do you have picture book manuscripts that you’d like to revise with a small, committed group of writers dedicated to helping you produce your best work? Please check out my upcoming picture-book revision class through Whale Rock Workshops.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

This in-depth, hands-on, nine-week workshop is limited to eight participants. You’ll use your own manuscripts to explore picture-book craft/revision, you’ll discuss craft elements you can apply to your own manuscripts, and you’ll participate in weekly online discussions that dive into picture book craft topics.

Our nine weeks together include:

• An initial session on learning how to participate in a writer-centered critique group—one that centers on each writer’s needs and creates a safe, nurturing feedback experience. (This session is required for participation.)
• Eight 80-minute workshop sessions facilitated by me where writers will offer and receive targeted, constructive feedback that inspires revisions and helps you meet your writing goals.
• Two manuscript critiques per participant during the workshop sessions, including feedback from me.
• Learning about picture book craft from me and one another’s creative efforts and insights.
• Eight weekly online conversation prompts about picture book craft in a separate, online digital learning space exclusive to the group.

Build-Your-Own Whale Rock Mentorships

This winter, Whale Rock is introducing a build-your-own mentorship to meet your unique needs. These are immersive, writing experiences designed to offer writers one-on-one attention, feedback, and skill-building from expert, MFA-level faculty members, including me. Please go to Build-Your-Own Mentorships to check out the options, or message me to chat.

I’m excited to share Dorothy Leung’s cover art for our picture book The Cloud That Stuck, coming from Charlesbridge Publishing in April 2026!

Some clouds just won’t go away. When one hovers above Tansy’s head, she learns to live with it through love, support, and creative thinking. A timely picture book about mental health, resilience, and change.

Whoosh! On a blustery day, the wind blows a cloud over Tansy’s head, blocking the sun. She yells at the cloud and tries to outrace it on her bike. Her best friend, dad, and teacher try to help get rid of it, but the cloud won’t budge. Then it rains on Tansy, and she forgets what sunshine feels like.

Having a cloud overhead feels like the worst possible thing in the world. Until Tansy gets rain boots and an umbrella. She plays in the puddles with her friends and even plants a garden and waters it with her handy, always present cloud. As Tansy finds ways to live with her cloud, she witnesses that flowers need rain, and so do rainbows.

Inspired by the author’s experiences with mental health, this book is for anyone who has faced challenges beyond their control.

Available for Pre-order Now