Carmela Castaldo

What Could It Be? Carmela Castaldo

Hi. My name is Carmela (Millie) Castaldo, or as the children at the elementary school where I work call me, Mrs. C. The years have certainly accumulated. Between my children attending school here and my working as a teaching assistant for over thirty-five years, it has become like a second home. I love working with the children. They never cease to amaze me or to make me laugh. They also make me feel young at heart! I have three grown children and four grandchildren. This book has been dedicated to my grandchildren but it has been written for all the children I have known and met in my lifetime. I would like to give back some of the pleasure that they have given me. Let me try and explain how this book came about. To begin, I have always had a love of clouds. Ever since I was a child I have loved clouds. When the sky is full of these wonderful fluffy puffs, my mind runs wild. I would ask myself, "What could it be?" Then I would make pictures in my mind as to what I thought it looked like. Sometimes I thought it was a funny version of an animal, but it still could be the shape of an animal, house, tree, or perhaps a face. When I was young, sometimes this was the only game I would have to play. What was good about my little game was that it made me use my imagination. It does not cost any money and it could be great fun for the whole family. I'm hoping that this book will prompt other children into using their imaginations as well. I still play the game today, so as you can see, it never breaks or needs repair and is always lots of fun. I am not a writer and I had no idea how to put this picture book together. I tried all different ways to bring these clouds to life on paper. One day I decided to take pictures to capture some of these great shapes. When something looked interesting I would take out my camera and try to take a picture of it. As a result, this is my book. I do hope you enjoy it. Love, Mrs. C