The Umbrella

August 2, 2004
Inspired by the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica (according to the jacket flap), Brett's watercolor and gouache art grabs the spotlight in this tale of young Carlos, who carries an umbrella made of giant lush leaves into the forest. He sets it down in order to climb the branches of a fig tree, hoping to catch sight of certain creatures from a higher elevation. Ironically, in a cumulative plot reminiscent of The Mitten
, the critters he aims to spy—among them a toucan, kinkajou, tapir, monkey and jaguar—accumulate inside his umbrella below. Brett depicts the main action in a wide horizontal scene on each spread, while leaf-shaped side panels reveal the boy scaling the tree, and preview the next animal to drop into the umbrella. Brett's vivid details—the markings of the tapir's fur, the contrasting reds and greens of the quetzal's feathers—bring the exotic creatures to life. After the monkey flings the umbrella into the river and climbs aboard, the jaguar jumps onto it and the other animals think, "Just don't eat us up!" A dramatic aerial view shows the group floating down river; what rocks the boat is a tiny hummingbird, which alights upon the umbrella handle. The creatures reach the riverbank just as the boy abandons his treetop perch, wondering where all the animals are. The author sprinkles this amiable, smoothly recounted tale with Spanish words. Yet more memorable than her narrative are Brett's paintings—an eye-pleasing introduction to exquisite rainforest residents and vegetation. Ages 4-up.

November 1, 2004
K-Gr 4-Young Carlos hopes to spot certain animals in the nearby rain forest but is disappointed when no living things appear. Dropping his umbrella made from leaves, he climbs a tree for a better view. Meanwhile, one by one all of the creatures the boy hoped to see settle into his umbrella, arguing over available space until the weight of a hummingbird tips the whole thing over. The story line, which mimics Brett's The Mitten (1989) and Pamela Allen's amusing Who Sank the Boat? (1983, both Putnam), is a trifle overambitious and seems to sink, like the umbrella, under the weight of its components. The animals lapse into Spanish often enough to perplex readers, since the words and phrases aren't always clearly translated. The text fails to improve on earlier versions of this tale. However, the watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are stunning. Lush vine-framed paintings show a leafy world where countless shades of green are illuminated by tropical flowers and exotic animals. Each spread provides an enticing glimpse of the creature that will appear next and thus an entertaining visual puzzle for children. Despite the narrative's weaknesses, this book can be used as an introduction to the rain forest, and the illustrations alone make it worth owning.-Susan Weitz, Spencer-Van Etten Schools, Spencer, NY

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2004
PreS-Gr. 2. In Brett's newest picture book, inspired by a recent trip to the Monteverde cloud forest in Costa Rica, young Carlos sets out in search of exotic animals that live among the thick vines and tropical foliage. He takes along a green umbrella, which he sets down at the base of a tree before climbing up for a better view. While Carlos scans the "sea of green," hoping to spot a few cloud-forest friends, a menagerie gathers inside his umbrella, right under his nose--a humorous reversal of the adage about not seeing the forest for the trees. Brett's characteristically lush paintings portray all the misty, mystical details of a rare tropical habitat and its unfamiliar critters, including a bawling baby tapir, a sleepy kinkajou, a hungry toucan, and a brilliantly plumaged quetzal. The basic Spanish phrases punctuating the dialogue, such as " "\xc1 Vete!" "(go away) and " "Buena suerte" "(good luck)" ," are easily understood through context, and lend authenticity to a story with a deeply rooted sense of place.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)