The Pink Umbrella by Amelie Callot & illustrated by Genevieve Godbout

ISBN: 9781101919231
Tundra an imprint of
Penguin-RandomHouse.ca

My thoughts: This lovely book was originally published in French in 2016 in Canada.

This is an absolutely beautiful book. The story is beautiful and well written with text that simply flows with an enthralling story-telling style. The illustrations are very well done and capture the essence of the story and the mood of the main character, Adele.

The story of Adele and her lovely cafe that is a charming community gathering place speaks to small town or village living and the kindness and gracious friendship that one finds in small towns.

First of all, pink is a theme that is consistently at the forefront. Pink is a "feminine" color and Adele is a lovely lady. Secondly, Adele's charm and friendliness are portrayed in every bit of the story. Thirdly, the friendship that is evident as well as hidden is sweet and understated. And fourth, Adele has a problem that needs addressing and her friend is aware and silently pursues helping her.

While this is a children's picture book, it is somewhat longer that the norm. And while dealing with depression brought on by the weather is typically not something one would encounter in a children's book, inclusion of this problem in a children's book enables the child to become aware that some people are affected. There is nothing analytical in the book, it is just something Adele deals with and of which her friend is aware. Hence, the pink boots, the pink raincoat, and the pink umbrella.

The "depression factor" doesn't need to be stressed as the book is read to a child. This is simply a part of Adele that the author brings out.

I personally really love the book in its entirety. I see no difficulties in reading it to children four years and up. It is a good book for library or classroom read-aloud sessions as well as in-home reading.

About the book: Perfect for fans of Amélie, this is a charming story about the power of friendship, love and pink polka dots to turn rainy days into sunny ones and sadness into joy.

When it's bright outside, Adele is the heart of her community, greeting everyone who comes into her café with arms wide open. But when it rains, she can't help but stay at home inside, under the covers. Because Adele takes such good care of her friends and customers, one of them decides to take care of her too, and piece by piece leaves her little gifts that help her find the joy in a gray, rainy day. Along with cute-as-a-button illustrations, The Pink Umbrella celebrates thoughtful acts of friendship.

DISCLOSURE: I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.com. While not required to review, I felt I wanted to share my thoughts on the book which I am freely doing.