The Green Umbrella
Things aren’t always what they seem in this charming tale of imagination, sharing and friendship.
When Elephant takes a peaceful walk with his green umbrella, he’s interrupted by Hedgehog, Cat, Bear, and Rabbit—all claiming that they’ve had exciting adventures with his umbrella. After all, it is an umbrella, and it certainly hasn’t been on any adventures more exciting than a walk in the rain. Or has it?
Jackie Azúa Kramer and illustrator Maral Sassouni both make their debut in this fun read-aloud!
Illustrated in spreads that alternate the rainy-day narrative in vignettes with full-bleed spreads that allow the flight-of-fancy retellings to render a deeper mood, the animals' stories are delightfully descriptive...The lesson about sharing and generosity is elegantly wrapped around lovely language.
Kirkus Reviews
Debut author Kramer’s imagination-fueled encounter makes good use of fellow newcomer Sassouni’s gift for conjuring up fairy-tale landscapes...And Kramer’s storytelling passages sustain their lofty tone with no off notes—no easy task.
Publishers Weekly
Whimsical and cartoonlike animals, depicted with a touch of vintage style, will delight readers as the story shows all the imaginative ways an umbrella can be used. The brightly colored acrylic illustrations complement the conversational text, which is suitable to read aloud to an audience.
Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services, School Library Journal
A sweet story of a blossoming friendship between five lovable and imaginative characters, united by one special green umbrella. I want to jump right in to the lush paintings and join in their fun!
Lauren Castillo, Author/ Illustrator of Caldecott Honor Book "Nana in the City"
There's no mistaking how easy it is to share this book.
Matthew Winner, All the Wonders Podcast
The text provides just the right amount of tension and repetition to propel the story forward at a nice pace.
Booklist
The Green Umbrella encourages the imagination in each of us, and our desire to share and make friends.
Kiss the Book
Kids won’t realize how much they are learning, thinking, and developing—an instant favorite and must for every shelf.
Children's Literature Reviews
The repetition of the text, with the add-ons, the delightful illustrations, and the amusing characters all combine to make a sharable story, one filled with imagination and friendship
Midwest Book Review
- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, 2017
- Mom's Choice Award - Gold
- Parents' Choice Awards- silver honor, 2017