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March/April 2007
A little girl's magical umbrella has the power to reverse the weather under it in this wordless exercise in whimsy. When the pig-tailed heroine looks out the window at a snow-covered landscape, her response is predictable, but her attire is not. Out she ventures in flippers and bathing suit, flopping prints in the snow. But up the "un-brella" goes, and, beneath its protection, the sun shines down, melting the snow. Likewise, when spring comes, out she goes in her parka and boots and puts up the un-brella to call down a tiny localized blizzard. The digital illustrations strive for a three dimensional effect, flat planes and bold colors creating crisp lines arranged in layers on the page. The technique is at its most effective in the long views, as a ribbon of green winds its way through the snow, indicating the path of the girl and her un-brella; similarly, a winding path of snow dotted with green footprints follows the girl and her blizzard through the spring landscape. Images of the girl frolicking with penguins in a pool of water surrounded by ice and building a snowman in her bedroom under the un-brella will delight every kid who's ever wanted instant weather-gratification. V.S
School Library Journal
March 2007
PreS-Gr 3–This wordless tale begins with a little girl dressing for a day at the beach though it is clearly snowing. Even the cat is surprised when she picks up her “un-brella” and goes outside. It is here that the title of the story becomes clear. Wherever she opens the un-brella, sunshine flows and grass, flowers, and insects appear. She spends a fine winter day walking in her bathing suit, sunbathing, and swimming. As the season changes to summer, she is again at home. But now, dressed in winter gear, she opens her un-brella and spends the day making snow angels, ice-skating, and building snowmen. The book ends with the girl watching rain fall, leaving readers to wonder what kind of “brella” she will use now. Franson’s illustrations resemble paper cutouts although they are done using a computer. The crisp, clean pictures have bright colors, exceptional detail, fun patterns, sly repetition, and heaps of whimsy. They are irresistible. The expressions on the faces of the cat, girl, snowmen, goldfish, penguins, and other animals clearly advance the story. Pair this title with other wordless books like Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman (Random, 1986) or Alexandra Day’s “Carl” books (Farrar) and allow creative storytelling to reign.–Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
When a little girl decides the weather isn’t to her fancy, an “un-brella” helps to magically change one season to another. In the midst of a wintry scene, this Dora the Explorer look-alike with large, round blue eyes and pigtails and wearing a swimsuit and flippers, opens her un-brella to create a summery luscious green and daisy-covered path through the frigid white snow-blanketed landscape, replacing falling lacy snowflakes with the warm glow of the sun. Similarly, her un-brella will undo the summer’s heat with an icy or snowy trail she creates dressed in her winter coat and skates. Imaginatively reversing seasons may be the way to cope on severely cold or hot days, and this wordless story succeeds in demonstrating a bit of intrigue and originality. Franson offers plenty of details in his geometric and multi-dimensional style collage of seasonal scenes made with foam or textured paper cut-outs in pale hues of blues, lavenders, greens, yellows and white. The open-ended conclusion will spark some think-aloud moments. What will the little girl do when the rainy sprinkles descend on a spring night? One can imagine an auburn-colored autumn pathway of falling leaves. A visual diversion.
A young girl looks out the window at the snow-covered ground as snowflakes fall, but then she dresses in her bathing suit, flippers, and sunglasses. Before she leaves the house, she also takes an umbrella. In this wordless story, we can see that it must be magical. For when she opens it, grass grows beneath her feet, and wherever she walks a path of green follows. She floats under it on a pond, then stretches out under sunshine. Snow gives way to spring and summer across the pages. Then we see her at the window again. This time she sets out with the umbrella among the flowers, muffled up for winter. And a path of snow follows her amid the trees. She can skate on the frozen pond and build a snowman. On the last double page she sees rain through the window. "What will the magic Un-brella do with that?" we wonder. Cut paper illustrations lend themselves to a range of decorative page layouts, while creating hundreds of snowflakes and many-petaled flowers. The trees seem cut from fanciful fabrics, as is the appealing heroine's bedspread. The double-page scenes are carefully designed to increase anticipation as we view the shapes and patterns.
Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher
South Jordan Middle School, South Jordan UT
In the dead of winter, a little girl dresses in her summer best bathing suit and takes her umbrella into the yard. But, when she opens the umbrella, spring time appears. She carves a path through the snow to the pond and enjoys a dip. And when the summer sun beats too hot, what can she do, but dress up warm and take her “Un”-brella out to build herself a snowman. Colorful mixed media illustrations will spark children’s imaginations as they discuss other things that they would be able to do with an “Un-brella” of their own. EL – ESSENTIAL
Elizabeth Bird, Newsday.com
It's all well and good to talk about the power of imagination, but another thing entirely to show it working its wonders. In Scott E. Franson's remarkable picture book, "Un-Brella," a swimsuit-clad tot plunges into a cold and snowy day, accompanied only by a remarkable umbrella. Under the brolly's magical protection, snow melts away to reveal flowers, balmy pond water and a plethora of warmth and greenery. Months later, when the snow has melted and the air is summery, the same little girl bundles up in her winter clothes and her umbrella covers her path with thick ice and abundant snow. The last image of the book shows the child and her snowman companion peering out the window at a new kind of weather: rain. Franson's computer graphic style has a charming handmade feel to it. Rather than make the mistake of so many other CGI picture books and becoming too smooth and seamless, these images have texture, depth and high-spirited energy. Completely wordless, this book makes for a storytime delight that doesn't have to say a syllable.