Review
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Illustrator Bates applies her signature watercolor,
gouache, and pencil style to a quiet story about a smiling
umbrella, a tale sparked by a conversation with her seventh-grade
daughter, co-author Juniper Bates.The eponymous rain protection
is a big, red, friendly, helpful umbrella that sits near the
front door and "likes to spread its arms wide" when it rains. As
the pages turn, the umbrella grows in size, its smile ever
widening, "to give shelter." It gathers all in--tall, hairy,
plaid. "It doesn't matter how many legs you have," the omniscient
narrator assures, as a basset hound droops forlornly outside its
shelter before being welcomed in. While the book does not bill
itself as political, it is hard to read it without thinking of
current events--and of the umbrella as a metaphor for the United
States. "Some people worry that there won't be enough room under
the big umbrella," the narrator warns. "But the amazing thing
is...there is." The final spread of this gentle picture book is
an illustration of diverse people in a park: a black jogger; a
white man in a wheelchair with a small dog on a leash; a brown
woman wearing a hijab with a butterfly in her palms; two men and
three children (in child seats), all of different skin colors,
riding a tandem bike. A subtle, deceptively simple book about
inclusion, hospitality, and welcoming the "other."(Picture book.
3-6)--Kirkus "11/1/17 "
Wearing a yellow slicker and boots on a rainy day, a child
carries an open red umbrella down a city street. On each page, a
sentence lightly personifies the umbrella: "It likes to spread
its arms wide. / It loves to give shelter. / It loves to gather
people in." More and more folks join the child under its rapidly
expanding canopy, until, in the last illustration, the umbrella
arches over a park filled with animals and culturally diverse,
differently abled people, all enjoying themselves and their
surroundings. The appealing watercolor, gouache, and pencil
illustrations work beautifully with the text to tell the story.
In contrast to the gray skies, the red umbrella stands out
visually, creating a warm, cheerful space for those beneath it.
The main attraction of this expansive picture book is neither the
plot nor the concept, but the upwelling of a boundlessly
inclusive spirit reminiscent of Leodhas and Hogrogian's
Caldecott-winning Always Room for One More (1965). Well designed
for classroom read-aloud sessions, this open-ended picture book
creates a natural springboard for discussion.--Booklist "Nov 1,
2017 "
This sweet extended metaphor uses an umbrella to demonstrate how
kindness and inclusion work. The big umbrella waits by the door
with a smile. "It is a big, friendly umbrella. It likes to help."
It's a rainy day and help is welcome, so the umbrella, once
opened, provides shelter to all comers. First to its owner, and
then to a ballerina, a dog, a skater, a monster...there is no
limit to how many can fit under its widespread arms. "Some people
worry that there won't be enough room under the big umbrella. But
the amazing thing is...there is." Bates's signature sketchy
watercolors begin the story on the endpapers with a downpour and
heavy, wet clouds. The muted colors of the rainy cityscape give
contrast to the smiling red umbrella and the folks it is
protecting. Each page is lighter than the one before until the
sun is out, and a final spread opens to show just how much room
there is. Bates and her young daughter thought up the idea for
this story during a rain storm. The message is direct but not
didactic, useful in discussion about classroom and family
behaviors, community-building and kindness in general, not to
mention helpful for discussion about the current political
climate. VERDICT A lovely addition to any library collection, for
classroom use or for sharing at home.
--School Library Journal "December 1, 2017 "
About the Author
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Amy June Bates has illustrated books including the Sam
the Man series, Sweet Dreams and That's What I'd Do, both by
singer-songwriter Jewel; and Waiting for the Magic by Patricia
MacLachlan. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband
and three children.
Juniper Bates was in sixth grade when she and her mom, Amy June
Bates, came up with the idea for The Big Umbrella while sharing
an umbrella in a rainstorm. Juniper loves music, skiing, books,
and puddles she can jump in. Juniper lives in Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, with their family and dog, Rosebud.