Bates, Amy June, co-written with Juniper Bates. The Big Umbrella. “A Paula Wiseman Book.” Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. Unpaged. $16.99. ISBN 9781534406582. Ages 3-5. P10Q10
Simple text and colorful watercolor illustrations bring the story of a cheerful red umbrella, big enough to shelter everyone, to life. As a child walks out into the rain, the umbrella that keeps out the rain becomes larger and larger as more individuals come needing protection. The brilliantly colored illustrations us a bird’s-eye view to show the umbrella and only show the feet of the growing multitude that it shelters. The story came to be following a conversation between author/illustrator Amy June Bates and her daughter.
Verdict: This cheerful, inclusive book encourages the reader to share resources, not by demanding that everyone shares, but by showing how community grows when shared. Highly recommended for pre-school/kindergarten, elementary collections, and public libraries.
May 2018 review by Jane Cothron.
Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center 