Umbrella

About the Book

In this lovely book, a Japanese-American girl named Momo gets an umbrella and red rubber boots for her third birthday. She’s disappointed that the following days are sunny, but finally the rain comes. Under her umbrella, “The raindrops make a wonderful music she had never heard before–Bon polo, bon polo, ponpolo, ponpolo.” The outstanding mixed media illustrations with a scratchy texture earned the book a Caldecott Honor.

Why this Book?

I love the way Yashima plays with language in the sounds of rain on the umbrella, a refrain children like to repeat. Published in 1958 when few children’s books featured Asian or Asian-American children or an urban setting, this one beautifully set in New York City endures as a classic. (Some may find the phrase used once, “Indian summer,” problematic or worth discussing.) Adults may especially love the poignant end of the story that explains Momo doesn’t remember the day she first used the umbrella or that it was also the first day she walked alone without holding her mother’s or father’s hand. Yashima excels at both illustrating and writing, making this book a pleasure to share.