An easy introductory but yet detailed illustrated guide for cloud recognition and spotting for everyone.
A necessary tool for teachers, students , a fantastic intro to all fans of weather and atmospheric phenomenas. A delight for people of all ages and occupations..
Artwork is amazing and scientifically accurate!


Thanks to Net Galley and Ten Speed Press for the ARC.

I'm not sure anything reminds me more of childhood than clouds. Laying on the grass – with or without friends – looking up at the clouds as they drift by in a brilliant blue sky, changing shape from a rabbit to... some kind of blob, or... whatever. Or the dark thunderclouds that promised the excitement of lightning and racing sticks in overflowing gutters, or the mysteriousness of a thick fog and trying to lose yourself in the park.

A few years ago I read The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, an enjoyable book that combines the science of clouds with a sometimes meandering collection of charming anecdotes. In this book, he teams up with William Grill for a fully-illustrated and simpler guide to "Cloudspotting." Although it's nearly 100 pages long, it has the look and feel of a children's book - every page is fully illustrated with mostly minimal text. And it works very well - at least, it feels much easier to remember the different kinds of clouds. And I kept thinking: this would probably be a great gift for an 8 year old. But then I realized it's probably perfect for anyone of any age who isn't too grown up to be interested in spending some time looking up at the clouds. (I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher and NetGalley.)

What a treat! Cloudspotting for Beginners is a beautifully illustrated guide for identifying clouds. It covers everything from the creation of clouds and hail to different types of rainbows and visual effects like sun dogs and coronas. The illustrations are the best part of the book—they are highly-detailed and made using colored pencils and/or crayons. The colors are vibrant and the texture of the drawings makes every spread seem layered. Cloudspotting for Beginners would make a gorgeous coffee-table book and a wonderful gift to anyone even remotely interested in clouds, regardless of their age.

Being just under 100 pages, I would prefer for the book to be longer. Information like, how to spot a rain cloud or best weather for a particular kind of cloud would have been great. Clouds behave differently across the world, and it would have been great to see a statistic like: country with most cloudy days or the place with highest chances to see a particular cloud. They also play a big role in myths and legends around the world, which would be fascinating to read about in this context. Since rainbows are given a few pages, it seems like a miss not to have at least one spread on Aurora. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to all kinds of readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful little book! Full of gorgeous colored pencil illustrations and quick facts about the most common (and uncommon) types of clouds. Even a couple pages at the end about clouds on other planets. The art is gorgeous and I learned a lot, and would definitely recommend!

Cloudspotting for Beginners is a quick yet insightful book for readers interested in learning a more about clouds. The artwork is beautiful! The book is educational with accessible language/vocabulary. I also like that the page count is short! It was a nice respite from reading lenthy novels. I could see this being a good addition for the reluctant readers in my school library.

I was surpsied to find all the differrent topics that it covered besides clouds such as: snowflakes, tornados, rainbows, and clouds on other planets! The only issue I had with reading the book was that the text was kind of small for me to read using the ARC file format, but I would imagine that this reading experience is much better when reading a print copy.

Beautiful. Beautiful. Starting with the origin stories of cloudspotting with its terminology by Luke Howard, the author makes you appreciate all the right conditions needed for you to ooh.. aah.. about the clouds.

I loved this book. The illustrations were beautiful. Each flip of the page led to short passages about clouds. Passages were interesting and informative and supported by gorgeous drawings.

For example, there are sections on each cloud type, on the origin of cloud terms, and the man who named clouds.

I feel like this book could appeal to people of all ages and is something that could be shared amongst generations in a family.

The illustrations are scientific in nature to a certain extent, but they are also artwork. Coupled with the observations and reference passages, it made me think of a really lovely, educational nature journal.

I adored it. And recommend it to everyone. Cloudspotting is an accessible hobby that almost anyone can participate in.

Thanks to Net Galley and Ten Speed Press for the ARC.

This is one of the most charming books I've ever read! Gavin Pretor-Pinney and William Grill have put together a beautiful book (and when I say beautiful, I mean *gorgeous*, it is art) that can make anyone, of any age, excited about clouds. The whimsical writing pairs so well with the illustrations and every page is a delight.

What more can you ask for from a non-fiction book that not just teaches you things but teaches them in a way that makes you happy? I knew a little about different types of clouds but this covers so much more, including how clouds even got names in the first place and it even ends with information about clouds on different planets! This is a perfect cloudspotting guide for beginners and though quite short, once you're through, you won't look at the sky the same way again. It's also one of those books that you would want to have a copy on your shelf, because you will love flipping through those pages again and again.

Thank you Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, William Grill; Gavin Pretor-Pinney, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is going to make some kids into meteorologists. It's beautifully illustrated (and I think that these illustrations capture the important characteristics of different clouds just as well as most photographs) and focuses heavily on these visuals. The text is concise but poetic, informative and artistic at the same time.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Cloudspotting for Beginners by William Grill and Gavin Pretor-Pinney is a book that invites readers to look up and discover the vast canvas of the sky. This beautifully illustrated guide is a journey through the atmosphere, one that educates and inspires awe with every page turned.

The authors, Grill, an artist, and Pretor-Pinney, a renowned journalist and founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, have crafted a work that is as informative as it is poetic. It’s a testament to the authors’ expertise that they can break down the life and structure of a cloud, making the information accessible and engaging to the reader.

What sets this book apart is Grill’s gorgeous illustrations of colorful skies and mesmerizing cloud patterns.

In conclusion, Cloudspotting for Beginners is a tribute to the sky’s daily performance. It’s a perfect blend of science and art, making it an essential addition to the library of anyone who appreciates the sky’s natural beauty or seeks to understand the meteorological wonders above us.

This book is a refreshing take on a subject that touches all our lives, yet remains shrouded in mystery. It’s a must-read for cloud appreciators, sky lovers, and curious minds.

I have read more than a few weather-related books since both of my children want to be meteorologists. Cloudspotting for Beginners is a unique book that I cannot wait to have on my shelf because I know it’s a resource that can be returned to again and again.

The illustrations are beautiful, while also being realistic. There are little tidbits of knowledge that make this book unique. I have read too many books that only identify the basic clouds and don’t show some of the more rare ones. I was so interested to learn how clouds got their Latin names, just like plants and animals!

This book is perfect for adults and children alike. It would be a wonderful reference guide to pull out during times of odd clouds (minus the cumulonimbus clouds sporting tornadoes).

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Press, and the authors William Grill and Gavin Pretor-Pinney for this wonderful resource.

Artful and whimsical, this book contains everything you ever wanted to know about clouds and more. I love the Glossary at the end as well as the guides throughout the book. In fact, I would love a laminated pack copy to be able to keep with me when enjoying those cloud-filled days. If you are looking for actual photographs, that is not what you will find in this book. Rather, these are pencil drawn colorings and representations. Everything is written at a level that understandable and makes sense to the novice reader. In addition to clouds, there is great information on rainbows, storms, and tornadoes.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I loved this book! It was an easy and delightful journey into the world of cloud spotting. The writing made it feel like a magical adventure.

It was beautiful how the book ended: “One thing’s certain: The sky is always changing. And so your cloud will be back. But it will look different next time, because every cloud is unique. So if you spot something in the clouds, pay attention. Don’t miss it, because no other cloud will ever be quite the same - you might be the only person in the world who chose to spot it.”

I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the sky! ☁️✨

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I was walking home from work today and looking at the clouds, noticing how many different types there were scattered across the expanse of the sky. If I had the Cloudspotting for Beginners book on me at the time, I would have taken it out and seen if I could correctly identify them.

This is a great book! I believe anything that can get people, kids especially, outside and looking at nature in a new way is essential! The illustrations are great and accurate. The information helps you not only identify clouds, but learn how and why they form.

Thank you Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press. Definitely a book I would consider for my library and consider giving my nieces and nephews as a gift.

A charming little book that will at least start to satisfy the curiosity of all those who (like me, dear reader) have stared up at clouds and wondered why they're shaped the way they are, and what they're called when they're in that particular shape. With just a few lines of text on most pages, the book is designed to feature lovely illustrations done in a soft colored-pencil sketch style.

This isn't an in-depth scientific treatise on the mechanics of clouds and their inner workings. But it is a great primer on how many different varieties of clouds there are, and what can cause them. It would be a fine book for the collection of both children and adults interested in the wide world around us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

What are the different kinds of clouds? How do clouds and weather interact? What do rainbows have to do with clouds? This book answers so many questions in such an easygoing, fun way. The illustrations are fantastic, and are simple enough to make the concepts clear. The glossary is made up of pictures.
This book is short and easy to read but packed full of information. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this