My Little Green Umbrella

Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein’s classic, The Giving Tree, My Little Green Umbrella tells the story of a young girl who owns a green umbrella. The green umbrella takes the girl on many imaginary adventures protecting her from invaders, rough seas, and the like. In fact, the umbrella also has magical qualities that make the sun come out on a rainy day. The girl loves the umbrella very much. But as time passes, the girl outgrows the umbrella and puts it away in a coat closet. It sits in the coat closet for many years. Then one day, a little boy finds the umbrella in the closet. The little boy also takes this magic umbrella on many adventures and loves it just as the girl had many years ago. It even protects him from monsters at night. But the boy also outgrows the umbrella and many years pass once again. An elderly woman and man come to retrieve the umbrella and the umbrella realizes that it is the little girl and boy, a mother and her son, who played with it all those years ago.

My Little Green Umbrella is a simple story that young readers will request over and over again. It is a heartwarming tale about an inanimate object that seems to come to life and even more so becomes the best friend of the child who plays with it. It symbolizes safety and gives laughter and happiness to the child.

The pictures in the book are by Tom Lintern and he does a beautiful job of illustrating the girl, the boy, and all of the adventures they go on with the green umbrella. The style of drawing reminded me a lot of Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona with its calming muted colors and soft lines.

I would love to see a few more adventures added to this story as I think that is what will capture the imaginations of its young readers and listeners. The story also ended a little abruptly and I really would have liked to be able to follow the woman and her son and the umbrella a bit more.

My Little Green Umbrella will become a favorite bedtime story for many young children as it emphasizes the importance of imagination, giving, and the things in our lives that create happiness no matter how big or small. This is a beautifully written and illustrated story.