The Umbrella

December 1, 2022
Dim days end with a bright romp thanks to magic--and the magic of sharing. Ferry and Lichtenheld drum the weather's dripping rhythm in brief, rhyming text ("Dreary. / Weary. // Dim. / Grim") and gray tones: relentless rain. The small, light-skinned heroine's brief break arrives when she has to walk her dog; she finds a tattered umbrella (free!) in a jumble shop. But even that prize disappoints when it deconstructs in bright yellow leaflike bits blown across a park. More rainy nights and days follow, until--what?!--each scattered bit has sprouted into a dazzling new umbrella! The girl harvests and then shares them in the public square (where, looking closely, we can spot one person using a wheelchair and a few with brownish faces, though most appear to be light-skinned). As the brilliant brollies spread everywhere, clouds retreat and play begins. As in Ferry and Lichtenheld's Stick and Stone (2015), the text will be memorized and chanted; the illustrations rely on very lively linework and more detail than in that book, managing efficiently with gray and (eventually) dandelion hues. Minimally detailed faces, quirky vehicles, and a cartoon canine fit the fanciful concept just as the girl and her friends fit the age range of this tale's readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This celebration of patience and sharing light will spread delight. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 9, 2023
Wet, gray weather is no match for the bright spirit of a yellow umbrella–toting child in this buoyant picture book from the creators of Stick and Stone. Though it’s “Dim./ Grim” and raining out of doors, a white-presenting child pulls on galoshes and a slicker to walk an energetic dog: “Gotta go—// rain or snow.” As they hurry through puddles, a clap of thunder sends the pair scurrying under the inviting awning, and through the door, of a curio shop. Emerging from the store with treasure—a bedraggled yellow umbrella tagged “FREE!”—the duo splash home, leaving bits of the umbrella’s tattered canopy in their wake. A few dreary days later (“Drop./ Drop./ Nonstop”), the youth discovers that the umbrella’s remnants have worked a fulsome magic that, with help, powers a sunny community movement. Ferry’s concise, rhyming text deftly captures the rhythm of the rain and the flow of the protagonist’s moods. In his signature loose-lined pencil and watercolor spreads, Lichtenheld delivers expressive, dot-eyed characters shown with ready smiles and various skin tones. The story’s gray backdrop of sheeting, streaking rain fittingly contrasts with the image of a bright yellow umbrella—a favorite symbol adopted by the late author and former Lichtenheld collaborator Amy Krouse Rosenthal, to whose memory this book is dedicated. Ages 4–8.

February 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 Seemingly endless rain has made everything "dreary. Weary. Dim. Grim" for young and old. However, it's time for a girl to walk her pup. Coming upon an intriguing curio shop, they venture inside and find an old, shabby, yellow umbrella. What could it be used for? Perhaps a coat? An upside-down, pup-size boat? Anyway, it's free. But as they carry it home through the park, it falls apart, leaving pieces on the ground--"Crumble. Tumble. Trail of tatters." Though the rain continues, the pair ventures out again and finds something unexpected: bright-yellow umbrellas have sprung up, flowerlike, in the wake of the previous day's walk. There are plenty to share, and as townspeople gather, yellow umbrellas in hand, the clouds depart and a smiling sun emerges, bringing joy and fun. Ferry and Lichtenheld (Stick and Stone, 2015) use succinct, descriptive rhymes and delightfully detailed watercolor-and-pencil illustrations to tell this whimsical, read-aloud-friendly story. Just about every kid has experienced disappointment on a rainy day, and this charming, playful story's conclusion will surely pique imaginations.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2023
In short, punchy sentences, many of them one or two words long, Ferry introduces readers to a persistent rainstorm: "Dreary. Weary. Dim. Grim. Drip. Drop. Nonstop." Lichtenheld, alternating between full-bleed spreads and energetic vignettes that hasten the pace, depicts a town utterly tired of all the rain. Children look out windows in despair, wanting to run and play outdoors, but the rain, falling in driving lines, will not relent. The monochromatic purplish-gray palette captures the pervading sense of gloom: "Nights and days. Always grays." A girl heads outdoors with her pup ("Gotta go -- rain or snow") and stops into a curio shop. She finds a battered yellow umbrella, the book's one pop of color. The umbrella disintegrates in the rain as she runs home, but she later discovers that the pieces have bloomed, creating a field of dazzling yellow umbrellas. She and her pup dig them up and distribute them throughout town, the pages now emanating a sunny-bright glow: "Goodbye, dreary. Goodbye, gray." Color and joy return, chasing the clouds away. A pleasing pick-me-up story, rain or shine. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 5, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-The exceptional duo behind Stick and Stone are back with another unmissable and upbeat collaboration that begins with seemingly endless rain. Brief, rhyming text-"Dim. Grim. Drip. Drop. Nonstop"-captures the gray and dispiriting mood. However, rain or shine, a young child must walk the dog. Donning their best rain gear, the duo venture outside and come across a free yellow umbrella while browsing in a shop. Their excitement is short-lived when the umbrella tears into pieces on the journey home. More rainy days follow, and they make a wonderful discovery: the pieces of yellow cloth have bloomed into brand new umbrellas! The child collects the umbrellas, distributing them throughout the community; this clears the clouds and spreads sunshine in the process. Ferry's masterful use of limited text expertly captures the emotions of the young girl, the atmosphere of the town, as well as the rhythm of the rain. Lichtenheld's expressive illustrations pair perfectly with the text, depicting the community in shades of gray before featuring pops of yellow. Pair with Amy June Bates's The Big Umbrella and Linda Ashman's When the Storm Comes for additional uplifting storm and community-centered titles. VERDICT Simple and superb-a must-have for any collection.-Olivia Gorecke

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
In short, punchy sentences, many of them one or two words long, Ferry introduces readers to a persistent rainstorm: "Dreary. Weary. Dim. Grim. Drip. Drop. Nonstop." Lichtenheld, alternating between full-bleed spreads and energetic vignettes that hasten the pace, depicts a town utterly tired of all the rain. Children look out windows in despair, wanting to run and play outdoors, but the rain, falling in driving lines, will not relent. The monochromatic purplish-gray palette captures the pervading sense of gloom: "Nights and days. Always grays." A girl heads outdoors with her pup ("Gotta go -- rain or snow") and stops into a curio shop. She finds a battered yellow umbrella, the book's one pop of color. The umbrella disintegrates in the rain as she runs home, but she later discovers that the pieces have bloomed, creating a field of dazzling yellow umbrellas. She and her pup dig them up and distribute them throughout town, the pages now emanating a sunny-bright glow: "Goodbye, dreary. Goodbye, gray." Color and joy return, chasing the clouds away. A pleasing pick-me-up story, rain or shine.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)