The Pitch That Wasn’t: The Story Behind My Unseen Moment

If you’ve been following Cloudy Day Chronicles, you already know about the whirlwind of the publishing contest…

When I made the tough decision to withdraw, I figured that was it. . .closed chapter. I expected to walk away with nothing more than the memories (& confidence for self-publishing).

But then. . .I saw myself on the poster. I popped up in the teaser. I even heard myself mentioned in the episode’s intro.

For a moment, I thought: Wow. Maybe I still made the cut. Maybe they’ll say something kind about why I stepped away.

So, I watched with anticipation. But no. Two hours later, I was acknowledged, but never shown.

Still, I loved my pitch. It was strong. I’m sharing it here.

Horses. Dogs in cars. Penguin pirates. And once. . . a vacuum.

These are just some of the books my daughter has asked librarians to hunt down. And each time we’d walk out with a glorious stack (thank you @Laurel Library)—actually there was one time, we did stump them.

I asked for a picture book that could gently explore depression; something visual to help explain to my daughter why Mom sometimes needed a moment. 

Managing mental health while parenting is no easy feat, and I was searching for a way to talk about it creatively & honestly. We found books on feelings, sadness, and emotional regulation, but nothing that truly showed what it’s like to witness someone you love having a hard day. . . and still feel safe and connected.

I wanted a story that could help normalize that experience. That could say: “Mom’s not okay, but that’s okay.” Something to show you’re not the cause, you are part of the sunshine. In the absence of finding that book, I wrote it.

I’m Kendall, I’m the author of Mom’s Cloud and the Beach Adventure, a gentle picture book for ages 4–7 told with whimsical language, soft tone, and vivid, imagery about what happens when the world is sunny, but your day feels cloudy.

The story follows siblings Alma and Max on a beach adventure—buckets packed, waves waiting—but a cloud appears over Mom.

The cloud cartoon changes throughout the story to represent emotional heaviness. 

Told through Mom’s perspective, Alma and Max help to chase the cloud away: with games and giggles. And in the end, what helped most was simply giving Mom a moment to rest, staying close, and showing her they care.

sadness doesn’t mean we have to go home or that Mom doesn’t want to be there. It’s an invitation for togetherness.

I wrote this book because I couldn’t find it and I know I’m not alone. This story fills a gap in the market I couldn’t ignore. And it’s just the beginning.

I recently found out I would be one of three books on the market focusing on depression, and honestly two aren’t real comps because they feature animals & emotions not people

I want families to feel seen. I want kids to understand even on cloudy days, they can be part of the sunshine. . .without carrying the weight.

I see this as the start of a series, where the cloud returns in different places and helps introduce other personified feelings. But this story is the first step.

In our own home, we even have a small cloud pillow I put out as a visual sign to hold space. Inspired the emotional heartbeat of this story.

I’m bringing the story to this community because this is where I searched for this resource. I believe in the power of the village. I believe this book matters because many children have loved ones who live with mental health challenges.

& talking about mental health is cool.

Mom’s Cloud and the Beach Adventure belongs in homes and libraries, right next to the animals and wild rumpuses. It belongs in the schools and community centers, because the quietest stories are the ones children and parents resonate with the most.

And-spoiler alert-clouds don’t last forever, but published with this contest this book will.

Q&A (paraphrased from memory)

Q: Depression is a deep topic. . . if you feel comfortable sharing, how did you decide this was something you’re ready to talk about with your children?

Answer: Depression is my reality. (Then, I shared a brief version of my adventures fostering versus parenting because self-confidence: see previous blog posts). . .

So, I believe when teaching my children about the world & experiences, talking about mental health should be in there. I don’t want to hide it. We can embrace it in a powerful, creative way. Mom has clouds. Throughout the book, I never say, “I’m depressed”, but I’m teaching her the idea that a sunny day can look different & here is how we can be together.

It’s teaching a concept, then one day it’s easier to say, “hey, a cloud was Mommy’s depression.” It also feels really good to use this as a foundation for not just them, but everyone; to text friends saying, “I have a cloud” versus some excuse to cancel plans.

Q: You mentioned a series and introducing other personified characters?

Answer: This book came from bedtime stories, from days we would be out somewhere, I’d have a cloud, and before bed we would “talk about our day”. So yes, within my head I have other location experiences & other feelings, like the winds of anxiety. Personifying has been instrumental. One of my great joys in this development was when my daughter had a rough day, and created her own “quip”. “Mom, nice Alma is lost in the woods, I’m having a hard time finding her.” and I love that I was able to teach her how to recognize and share she was struggling.

Q: So, with that, weather seems to be a strong symbolism here?

Answer: The cloud actually therapeutically started as a wave, emotionally pulling me like the undertow, but evolved to a cloud as it followed me.

Clouds aren’t cause and effect. It’s so easy in children’s book to show emotions as cause & effect, “I dropped my ice cream, I’m crying, that’s okay because you’re sad for your loss.” but clouds just show up in the sunshine. They can block the sun on a good day, they can block the sun ruining the day. They show a strong parallel to depression, because it isn’t always cause & effect.

Actually, one big piece, from beta readers, was Mom isn’t waking up sad? They kept saying I needed Mom to wake up sad because the shift arriving at the beach seemed quick. But no, that’s how depression is. Sometimes it just makes no sense. It floats in on a sunny day, I was looking forward to. I was singing in the car, I had my bucket packed too. But I got there. . . and it hit.

Q: Do you feel you are capturing a heavy topic in a re-readable way? Or is this a specific tool? You mentioned the high marketability, and I see it. How did you see it?

Answer: The number one beta reader question was, “Is your husband really that supportive?” And I loved answering, yes. Without him, I couldn’t be a mother at a beach. Without him showing me I was more than my depression, when I had a cloud, I couldn’t see the sunshine I could create. This book at it’s core is a whimsical beach day, where the family is punny, supportive, and adventuring. But when you read it, and you need it, it shows strength, maybe tactics, and language of love.

Golden Ticket.