78. The Umbrella

The Umbrella. Beth Ferry. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 2023. [March] 48 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: Dreary. Weary. Dim. Grim. Drip. Drop. Nonstop Gotta go--rain or snow Come on, pup. Premise/plot: There have been plenty of books about rainy days--featuring umbrellas or other rain gear--published through the years. I've never seen a rain-themed book with this big a twist. So the premise, a girl and her dog live in a community where it is seemingly ALWAYS raining, ALWAYS gray. But maybe just maybe change is coming! My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I loved the text. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the rhythm and rhyme of it. I am very particular when it comes to rhyming books. I can be harsh if the rhythm is off or weird. The lyrical flow--the rhythm--of this one is perfectly perfect in every way. I love the language--the onomatopoeia. I love how relatable it is. Rainy days CAN feel endless and always gray. Literally and figuratively--I think this one works. I also love the repetition. Every time we came back to Come on, pup...I just smiled. I love the illustrations. I absolutely love the use of limited colors. Thematically, this one just works really well. I love that the illustrations are capable of carrying the story on their own. So little ones who can't quite read yet, can "read" the pictures.  Text and illustrations--both perfectly perfect. This is a picture book. But it needs to be a BOARD BOOK and a PICTURE BOOK. I want this book to say in print forever and ever. © 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers