The Umbrella

Publishers Weekly

The Schuberts' (Ophelia) wordless fantasy unfolds like a long-forgotten childhood favorite. A dapper black terrier out with a cat friend on a gusty autumn evening finds a red umbrella. He puts it up, is instantly borne aloft in a shower of golden and scarlet leaves, and, in the next spread, he's above the clouds and off around the world. He fends off a crowd of hungry alligators with his umbrella (a kindly elephant launches him back into the air), descends into the depths of the ocean, flies over a rain forest (where he's attacked by a tribe wielding spears, bows, and arrows), dallies in the Arctic, then lands right back where he started—same wind, same leaves, same cat—as if the whole trip has taken no more than a couple of minutes. The Schuberts' depiction of foreign lands (especially those spear-throwing tribesmen) may strike some readers as dated, though it doesn't dampen the book's sense of adventure. Nevertheless, it's a marvelous treat for the senses; masterful drafting and splendid color make every spread worth lingering over. Ages 2–up. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

An Outstanding International Book of the Year—United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)". . . a marvelous treat for the senses; masterful drafting and splendid color make every spread worth lingering over."—Publishers Weekly

"Lyrical scenes invite young onlookers to create their own narrative for the canine hero's odyssey."—Shelf Awareness

"The illustrations easily tell the story; there's no need for words. The paintings excel at showing the different landscapes and depicting movement. What a great journey!"—School Library Journal

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

On the beginning end pages, a small black dog spies a red umbrella on a windy day. On the title page, he has opened it, and is soon swept up into the air. He is carried across the double pages on a wonderful, wordless adventure. He flies with flamingos over a huge waterfall and an African landscape. He lands amid hungry alligators, then is rescued and sent aloft again over the desert by an elephant. He sails the ocean in his umbrella, is sent up in the air again by the spouting of a while, flies through jungle trees, is caught on a vine, and rescued by a flying pelican. Seals applaud as he steps atop a snowy mountain. He slides down aboard the upside-down umbrella, and then rises again past a polar bear mother and cub. Finally, with the crescent moon in sight, he flies with some birds safely home. As he walks away on the back end pages, a curious cat seems about to start a new adventure with the umbrella. The highly imaginative action occurs in and over scenes filled with animals, landscapes, and objects painted naturalistically with sly humor. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—A small black dog with a red umbrella guides this wordless trip through all the Earth's climates. He starts out at home, where he's taken aloft by an autumn wind. His first stop is above the clouds, with familiar shapes visible in the fluffy whiteness. Then he's off to Africa where giraffes, hippos, zebras, and other creatures lounge near a great waterfall. The elephants save the dog from a group of crocodiles and send him on his way. The ocean and all of its colorful inhabitants are the next stop. After a visit, he's launched again by a whale spout, off to the land of the big turtles and the rainforest. A huge bird escorts him out for the next adventure. This time it's to the land of snow and ice where seals and polar bears greet him. After this visit, he swirls around in the sky for a while, along with the crescent moon and swooping bats. This wind takes him back to his home and lands him on the ground. The final endpapers show a cat getting ready to pick up that red umbrella. While adults will be able to name specific locales and animals, young readers will just see the beauty of the various habitats and share the dog's excitement. The illustrations easily tell the story; there's no need for words. The paintings excel at showing the different landscapes and depicting movement. What a great journey!—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI