today’s children storybook summary is

Umbrella

By Taro Yashima

The Takeaway

Patience is the key word for this book. Children learn to hold on their impulses. They are taught that there is a right time for everything.

Storyline

It was the first time that Momo wasn’t holding her mother’s or father’s hand. Instead, she was holding an umbrella and she was walking straight up like a “grown-up lady”. She had find her own self.

At three years old, Momo got an umbrella and a pair of red boots for her birthday. She was very happy, and could barely wait to use them, especially the umbrella. But, that year, an Indian Summer was lingering over the city and no rain was in sight. Every day Momo looked for the rain but the rain still didn’t fall. Tired of waiting, she tried to use the umbrella because anyway. One day, the sun was bothering her eyes, but her mother told her to wait, for the rain will come one day. Another day, it was windy and Momo said that the umbrella would protect her eyes, but again, her mother asked her to be patient for the rain will come.

Many days later the rain finally came. Momo got her red boots and her umbrella and run out. It was like this was the first rain in her life, that new and different it felt. The rhythm of the rain drops, the noise on the street, the washing of her yesterday chalk drawings on the pavement, all was new. She walked straight, among people on the street, holding her blue umbrella, like a “grown-up lady”. It was the first day of Momo’s life that she walked alone, first day from the many yet to come.

Characters

Momo, a girl about three years old with long black hair.

Illustration

Taro Yashima is also the illustrator of this book. You’ll fall in love with his bright view of the world, all drawn in colored pencils. Yellow, pink, vivid tones of blue and green make up the biggest part of the illustration, being a city skyline, a children’s room, or a busy street. I will also point out that the arrangement on the page makes it easier for readers to follow up, with the text on the left and the illustration that explains the text on the opposite page.

Thing to learn

Indian Summer: what we call “Indian Summer” is a short period in late fall when the weather is very hot and very dry, resembling summer.

Momo means “peach” in Japanese.

Also, scattered through the pages of this book there are other Japanese words, their writing, translation, and spelling.

Recommended Age

3 to 5 years (though on the book itself says 2 and up)

Reading Time

4 minutes

Medal/Awards: Caldecott Honor Book

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