GENRE: Character Driven, SEL, Lyrical
WORDS: 422
Query:
What if, to feel close to someone you miss, you could actually mail yourself to the sky?
Together on Cloud 37 (PB 422 words) is a picture book about a young girl whose mother now lives in the world of clouds. When her letters to Cloud Number 37 go unanswered, she decides to mail herself instead.
In the cloud, she feels deeply loved and safe, but soon realizes that her life and her growing heart belong back on earth with her father, friends, and everyday moments. Returning home, she discovers that love doesn’t disappear with loss; it stretches across worlds, offering comfort, connection, and the courage to keep living fully.
The emotional exploration of loss and the imaginative companionship of The Boy and the Gorilla (Jackie Azúa Kramer, ill. Cindy Derby, Candlewick Press, 2020) meet the warm, everyday resilience and celebratory togetherness of Saturday (Oge Mora, Little, Brown, 2020).
I’m an author-illustrator with over 100 published picture books in the past 24 years, several of which were released by US publishers. I hold a B.A. in Visual Communication and an M.A. in Education of the Arts. Early in my career, I was honored with a two-year scholarship for children’s book research from Kyushu University, Japan. I serve as the Regional Advisor for the SCBWI Israel chapter.
My first author-illustrated title, Good Old Days Grandpa, was published in Israel by Tal-May Publishing in 2024; I hold all foreign rights. This book represented Israel at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) in Slovakia in 2025 and was selected for The White Ravens International Catalog in 2025.
I was represented by Ethan Long of the Tugeau 2 Art and Literary Agency, and we parted ways in October 2025.
Excerpt:
Shortly after her 37th birthday, Mommy moved to the world of clouds.
My heart was empty.
So, I decided to sit at her desk and write her a letter.
I looked up at the sky and counted: 1…2…3…
until I reached Cloud Number 37.
That’s where she was.
I picked the pinkest paper, drew a fancy frame,
Then wrote to tell her about…
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
As an author-illustrator, I am submitting this picture book inspired by my personal experience of losing my mother at a young age, dreaming of meeting her in the sky and sharing a joyful, fun time together. I also wanted to show her relationship with her dad and how they cope with grief together because I was very close to my father and shared a truly special bond with him. He passed away at age 97, 33 years after her, just a few days apart.
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