When the dark clouds come

A child endures a stormy night. Illustrator and picture-book scholar Ridolfi's debut opens outdoors "on a hot summer day when the sun goes dim" as a long-haired, tan-skinned child watches as clouds roll in, grasses sway, and leaves rustle. When raindrops fall, the little one, protected under an oversize purple plaid umbrella and wearing polka-dot boots, walks alongside other umbrella holders as "sidewalks disappear into dark wet shadows." Before lightning flashes and thunder rolls, the adventurer returns home safely and snuggles into bed. The next morning's "warm new day" reminds readers that "when the dark clouds come, the sun is never far behind." Ridolfi has digitally composed striking illustrations in mixed-media collages of diverse patterns and various textures. Darkness haunts most of the pages--balanced with brighter patches of flowers, hanging laundry, and a quilted comforter--until the final two spreads are awash in sunlight. With a background as a clinical psychologist, Ridolfi highlights the child's independent self-reliance, but that solitariness feels more lonely than empowering, abandoning the youngster to a scurrying mouse, a curious cat, and whispering shadows. The choice not to include ready comforts--a glowing night light, a gentle hand--as well as layouts that depict the child and the home as tiny and vulnerable, will leave many young readers feeling more unsettled than soothed. A visually striking but ultimately discomfiting tale.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.