THE UMBRELLA

Carlos makes an umbrella from shiny, green fronds to go into the cloud forest, hoping to see many animals. When the only sounds he hears are the drips from the tall trees, he climbs up a giant fig tree to see better, dropping his umbrella upside down on the ground. As the drips collect inside it, a series of animals tumbles in: Froggy, Toucan, Kinkajou, Baby Tapir, Quetzal, and—finally—Monkey, who tosses the umbrella into the river, where it starts to sink. Jaguar pounces on it as it floats by, but when Hummingbird lands on the handle, it’s this tiny creature that makes everyone fall out—and the umbrella drifts back to shore. Up in the fig tree, Carlos wonders disappointedly where all the animals are. Insets of leaf shapes telescope the clever contrapuntal action of Carlos’s climb and the next creature, while lush watercolor-and-gouache illustrations in vivid greens and bright colors create a diorama effect. The blurb cites the story as a complement to The Mitten (1989) and its snowy setting. Indeed, Brett surpasses herself in this handsomely designed and beautifully executed appreciation of so different a setting. (Picture book. 5-8)