Under the Umbrella
Under the Umbrella
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2017--
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Pajama Press
Annotation: When a grumpy man loses his umbrella on a cold and windy day, he stops to share a treat with a small boy.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #140425
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Pajama Press
Copyright Date: 2017
Edition Date: 2017 Release Date: 03/01/17
Illustrator: Arbona, Marion,
Pages: 1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN: 1-7727-8016-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-7727-8016-1
Dewey: E
Dimensions: 29 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A grumpy man fights a rainstorm and other pedestrians but learns a lesson when his umbrella goes flying. Pithy poetry pairs with artful illustrations in this Canadian import, translated from the French. A dark double-page landscape of gray rooftops pelted with rain shows a swath of white light shading into yellow. In the upper right-hand corner is the couplet, "He grumbled at the raindrops / on the rooftops of the town." And in the next two-page spread, "He growled at the clouds / and at the crowds / that slowed him down." The wind is so strong the grumpy white man bends nearly double against it. In the distance is a patisserie with a red-and-white-striped awning and a little white boy staring, "entranced," into the window. The man sees none of this. A gust of wind sends his umbrella flying, and the little boy catches and returns it, immediately returning his attention to the window of treats. With just a moment's hesitation, the man hands the umbrella back to the boy, enters the shop, and buys a juicy raspberry tart for the boy. When he shares half of it with the man, the atmosphere beneath the umbrella is transformed to tropical sunlight. Arbona's fantastical illustrations play with perspective, shape, and pops of bright color that enliven scenes primarily composed of black, gray, and white. Buquet's text is translated into well-crafted verse by Woods. Memorable and instructive without a hint of didacticism. (Picture book. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

A drearily cold and wet morning is utter misery for a man who's running late while clinging to his black umbrella, which almost completely engulfs his head. Sharp, straight graphite lines depict the intense rainfall and wind, which forces the man into unnatural angles as he leans into the storm, amid gray, boxy houses. He's so busy grumbling that he almost doesn't notice the boy peering into the bright, warm window of the bakery, until a blustery wind launches his umbrella at the boy's feet. The rounded shapes and toasty colors of the bakery window are in sharp contrast to the stormy hues of the street, and the man's sour mood melts as he and the boy share a tart, which glows like a tiny sun under the umbrella and transforms the bleak morning into one of rich color. Though the rhyming lines are a bit clunky, the moody, stylish artwork is full of such expressive movement that it almost doesn't matter. Artistically inclined children will likely be charmed by this French import.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A grumpy man fights a rainstorm and other pedestrians but learns a lesson when his umbrella goes flying. Pithy poetry pairs with artful illustrations in this Canadian import, translated from the French. A dark double-page landscape of gray rooftops pelted with rain shows a swath of white light shading into yellow. In the upper right-hand corner is the couplet, "He grumbled at the raindrops / on the rooftops of the town." And in the next two-page spread, "He growled at the clouds / and at the crowds / that slowed him down." The wind is so strong the grumpy white man bends nearly double against it. In the distance is a patisserie with a red-and-white-striped awning and a little white boy staring, "entranced," into the window. The man sees none of this. A gust of wind sends his umbrella flying, and the little boy catches and returns it, immediately returning his attention to the window of treats. With just a moment's hesitation, the man hands the umbrella back to the boy, enters the shop, and buys a juicy raspberry tart for the boy. When he shares half of it with the man, the atmosphere beneath the umbrella is transformed to tropical sunlight. Arbona's fantastical illustrations play with perspective, shape, and pops of bright color that enliven scenes primarily composed of black, gray, and white. Buquet's text is translated into well-crafted verse by Woods. Memorable and instructive without a hint of didacticism. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
ALA Booklist (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Reading Level: 2.0
Interest Level: P-2
Lexile: AD640L
Guided Reading Level: M
Fountas & Pinnell: M

When the wind snatches a cranky man's umbrella and drops it at a the feet of little boy outside a patisserie, the hasty curmudgeon slows down long enough for an unlikely friendship to blossom. The weather has never been worse. The man with the stormy heart is soaked and he's going to be late! His mood is as black as the sky. Outside a nearby patisserie, a little boy stands under the shelter of its awning, gazing at the beautiful treats on display. When the wind snatches the man's umbrella and drops it at the child's feet, can this hasty curmudgeon slow down long enough for an unlikely friendship to blossom? Catherine Buquet's touching debut in lyrical rhyme, accompanied by Marion Arbona's bold and stylish illustrations, celebrates intergenerational friendship and the magic of sharing. It also reminds children and adults alike that bright moments can be found on even the gloomiest of days. STARRED REVIEW "Pithy poetry pairs with artful illustrations in this Canadian import, translated from the French...Arbona's fantastical illustrations play with perspective, shape, and pops of bright color that enliven scenes primarily composed of black, gray, and white. Buquet's text is translated into well-crafted verse by Woods. Memorable and instructive without a hint of didacticism."--Kirkus Reviews Starred Review STARRED REVIEW " Under the Umbrella is as sweet and lovingly constructed as the brightest treat in a bakery window."--Quill & Quire Starred Review


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