Umbrella

by Elena Arévalo Melville

Clara has gone to the park, but there's nobody to play with. She finds an umbrella on the ground and does a good deed by putting it on a bench. The umbrella says 'thank you' and invites Clara to make a wish. So unfolds a magical chain of events where kindness and forgiveness go hand-in-hand.

Every child will love the idea of finding a magical umbrella in the park

A delightfully surreal book about kindness and generosity

Invites the reader to interact by choosing what sort of wish they would make

Endorsed by Amnesty International because it celebrates our rights to express ourselves and to choose our own friends

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2019

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story about a lonely girl who is feeling uninspired until she comes across a magical umbrella. The umbrella shows here that anything is possible and helps her to feel less lonely. Throughout the story, the little girl uses the umbrella to help other people who are sad or struggling.
This book has a lovely message about kindness and sharing. The perfect book to have in the classroom to help teach children about the importance of kindness and how kindness costs nothing. Highly recommend.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clara is lonely. She goes to the park, but there’s no one to play with. She finds a “worn but very special” umbrella lying on the ground, and puts it on a bench. The umbrella thanks her, and tells her that anything is possible. When Clara opens the umbrella up, a playful cat is revealed. Old Mr. Roberts arrives in his wheelchair. He cannot reach the apples in the tree, so Clara hands him the umbrella, telling him that anything is possible. When he opens the umbrella, there’s a giant, friendly elephant who picks enough apples for everyone. Similar magic happens when the beleaguered parents of screaming twin boys open the umbrella – now there’s a butterfly band to delight everyone. Meanwhile, Mr. Fox has been watching with interest. While everyone is dancing, he commands the umbrella to make him “rich, rich, rich!” But the umbrella opens up and drenches him with a shower. He is ashamed, and gives it to Clara. She says that the umbrella belongs to everyone. When she opens it again, beautiful rainbows burst out, and “the park was absolutely perfect.”

Quirky pastel artwork makes the book feel magical, complementing the feel-good story of possibility and kindness. Not only does the umbrella help people who need something, but it also gives what people need to create community and allow grace. Although this message may be hard for very young readers to understand, the “Anything is possible” message is optimistic and open to interpretation and discussion.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A book to share’ states the Publisher before we begin our journey with Clara and quite right too: it’s a theme that is central to this quirky, amusing book.
On her trip to the park, Clara looks around but doesn’t see anyone that she can play with (not even the well-dressed fox on the far bench). What she does see though is an umbrella and, much like Aladdin’s lamp and ring, it hides within it a wealth of possibilities. Under its hood Clara discovers a cat and the understanding that ‘anything is possible’.

With the umbrella open, the park begins to fill up and Clara eagerly and enthusiastically shares her new-found mantra with anyone who cares to listen. Her infectious nature, as well as the Umbrella’s magical powers, bring the community together in all its shapes and sizes until the wily fox who has been observing all along decides to intercede and snatch the umbrella away. But the last thing the umbrella will do is gift someone who seeks self-gain. Will fox learn his lesson and take a step towards Clara’s selfless lifestyle?

With fable-like qualities, Umbrella is a story that celebrates creativity and kindness as well as empathy and choice. Melville’s wonderful use of colour and character will intrigue and delight young readers.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a lonely girl finds a discarded umbrella in the park, she finds that it presents many possibilities once someone looks inside. Doing so brings the girl, Clara, and everyone she meets moments of happiness and the granting of simple wishes. But one park visitor, Mr. Fox, fails to realize that the umbrella isn't intended to be commanded or to make someone wealthy. When he makes that particular mistake, the umbrella reacts in an unexpected way, teaching him a lesson. Interesting, sketchy artwork and hopeful text that reminds readers that anything is possible, with the right attitude--and maybe a magic umbrella.

[Lynsaroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

April showers are in order this week. Time to whip out your ☔ umbrella!
Clara, lonely at the park, finds a magic 🌂 umbrella that can not only speak but can make wishes come true. The umbrella provides for the needs of anyone who visits the park: a 🐱 companion, an 🐘 apple picker, a beautiful 🦋 distraction. When a fox with ill 💲intentions comes along he learns a valuable lesson from accepting neighbors and their umbrella. Community, greed, and finding 🌈 magic in the mundane are all touched on in this sweet story with a simple color scheme and heartwarming sketches.

[Gaby S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delightfully written and illustrated book.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://www.facebook.com/booktrust/vi...

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A magical umbrella seems to know just what everyone needs to be happy, or learn something, in this whimsical picture book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple story. Nice palette.

[Ethel Baraona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Umbrella by Elena Arévalo Melville is the perfect book to enjoy the experience of reading in multiple ways; firstly, by understanding and enjoying the story that the writer is sharing; secondly, by imagining all the other possible worlds that emerge from the pages of the book, this time created from your own interpretation of the magical, joyful and unexpected travel that the book offers.

A picturebook to be read by children but also by adults (at the end we all have an inner child, don’t we?) and learn about empathy, generosity, forgiveness, and solidarity through the eyes of Clara—in a set of outstanding, lively and expressive drawings. Umbrella gives you the wonderful gift of questioning yourself about how you want to live. After reading it you can't stop thinking: how to live together? how to live otherwise? In a world where anything is possible, what would you ask the umbrella for?

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story. Horrible artwork.