The Green Umbrella

Imagination can turn even simple objects into marvelous things, Elephant discovers as he strolls through a city holding a green umbrella. “I believe you have my boat,” a hedgehog tells him. “I crossed deep oceans on my boat and faced the crash of icy waves.” A cat, bear, and rabbit accost Elephant in turn, each with a dramatic umbrella story. Always courteous, Elephant replies patiently that he’s used the umbrella for play himself (“I was a pirate and the umbrella was my sword”). He invites the others to join him underneath it, where they picnic, trade stories, and, in a memorable final spread, soar into the rosy dusk of the sky aboard the umbrella—imagining is better together. Debut author Kramer’s imagination-fueled encounter makes good use of fellow newcomer Sassouni’s gift for conjuring up fairy-tale landscapes: old houses hunched up against each other, impossibly lumpy hills, and silly contraptions (“I flew through windy skies in my flying machine,” says the bear). And Kramer’s storytelling passages sustain their lofty tone with no off notes—no easy task. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)