When Clouds Bring Rain
AN ORIGINAL PICTURE BOOK FOR CHILDREN
CREATED & PUBLISHED IN HOUSTON, TX
full-color paperback, 32 pages | for readers ages 5–10
Story by Kelsey A. Johnson
with Olivia N., Frank L., Samuel N., and Samuel M.
Art by Ibraim Nascimento
Remembering their home in rural central Africa, a girl and her brothers navigate their new life in the United States. As disorienting as the big city of Houston can be, they discover that familiar things—like language, food, play, and even rainy weather—can connect them to each other and to their new neighbors.
$10 per paperback + $5 shipping
Proceeds from the sale of the book support FAM Houston and future storytelling initiatives in our community.
“The story is relatable and compelling. Thank you for creating this work. I buy children’s books regularly for my young nieces and nephews, and have never seen a story like this! You are filling an important void. I hope this is the first of many. ”
Discussion Guide
Greetings, parents and teachers! We created a discussion guide for you as you read this book with children at home and in classrooms.
MaKing the Book
In June 2019, FAM Houston invited five youth storytellers to participate in an interactive art and writing workshop with designer Kelsey Johnson and artist Ibraim Nascimento.
Weaving together the youth’s memories through words and watercolor paintings, the book shares the story of one Congolese family’s experience of displacement and eventual resettlement as refugees in Houston, Texas. At once deeply personal yet universal, young readers will see themselves in this powerful story about finding your own courage and creating community even in the most challenging of circumstances.
Although there is a slim inventory of contemporary stories told by refugees, hopefully this unique book will inspire more of these stories to be shared with the world.
Meet the Book’s creators
Story by…
A very special thanks goes to our five young storytellers: Olivia N., Frank T., Freddy I., Samuel N., and Samuel M.
Kelsey A. Johnson is a designer, photographer, and writer based in Houston, Texas. She began this collaborative picturebook project as a student in the MFA Communication Design program at Texas State University. Her creative work focuses on advocacy for diverse children’s books. www.kjportfolio.com
Art by…
Ibraim Nascimento studied fine arts at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil and is primarily trained in acrylic painting and mixed media art. He has taught art to young children in Brazil and the United States. He lives with his family in Houston, Texas. www.ibraimnascimento.com
For Immediate Release: 02/24/20
Contact Rev. Hannah Terry, Founding Executive Director of FAM Houston, 713-723-0175 or hannah@famhoustontx.org
Local non-profit publishes children’s picture book, created collaboratively with resettled refugees
HOUSTON, TX — FAM Houston, a local non-profit working with refugee and immigrant communities, is unveiling a new picture book for children, When Clouds Bring Rain. Created collaboratively with resettled refugee youth, the full-color, 32-page paperback has been published locally and will soon be available to the public.
“Storytelling is one of our core values,” says Rev. Hannah Terry, director of FAM Houston. “We know that books and other forms of storytelling have power: they remind us of who we are and connect us to each other.”
Yet, in mainstream publishing today, very few stories are told by refugees––especially in the form of children’s picture books.
Having researched this disparity, Houston-based designer Kelsey Johnson initiated the book project as part of her thesis at Texas State University. Johnson partnered with FAM Houston, local artist Ibraim Nascimento, and five youth whose families were displaced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and eventually resettled in Houston in 2012.
Last summer, the five Congolese-American youth were invited to participate in an interactive workshop where Johnson and Nascimento facilitated multi-sensory art and writing exercises. As an immigrant from Brazil, Nascimento connected with the youth’s stories in a deeply personal way. At the creative workshop, Nascimento and the youth shared memories of home and what it feels like to straddle two cultures.
“When you start to paint, it activates memories,” explains Nascimento. “It’s like you are there again.”
Together, the youth storytellers engaged journaling prompts, watercolor painting, group collage, and discussion, all with the goal of creating a book that would resonate with other refugee children in the Houston community and beyond.
When Clouds Bring Rain weaves together the youth’s memories to tell the story of a girl and her two brothers. It is intended for pre-readers and readers ages 5 through 10. Alternating between scenes of rural, central Africa and the big city of Houston, Texas, the children discover that familiar things––like language, food, play, and even the rainy weather––can deepen their family’s bond and connect them to their new neighbors. Young children across cultures will see themselves in this story about courage and creating community even in the most challenging of circumstances.
“We hope this unique book––and the way it was created collaboratively––will inspire more vital stories to be shared with the world,” says Johnson.
Copies of the book are available for a donation of $10 to FAM Houston (shipping is and additional $5). All proceeds will go to support FAM Houston and future storytelling initiatives.
The book’s creators will soon embark on a series of visits throughout the greater Houston area to share about the collaborative project. They plan to make copies available to local elementary school classrooms and libraries, and an e-book will be released later this year.
“I appreciate the mutuality and creative exchange of this project. It’s really something to be proud of,” says Rev. Terry.
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